It's a Lifestyle
by Flaming Trails
Summary: The Time Trippers receive the help of some unusual friends in preventing a horrible future. Vampire Doc Chronicle 2.
1. A New Attack On The New Year

It's a Lifestyle

By Flaming Trails

Disclaimer: I don't own Back To The Future. If I did, Doc would be my personal slave.

  


Chapter 1

Thursday, January 2nd, 1986

Hill Valley, California

9: 13 P. M.

Doc inhaled deeply the cold night air. It felt good to be outside again. The last few days, it had been snowing almost nonstop, leaving Doc cooped up inside his house. Tonight, though, the sky was clear, the stars shining brightly amid the blackness. The scientist admired it happily. "_A new year, a new beginning,_" he thought, strolling within the forest.

Doc himself was beginning a lot of things himself. 3 weeks and 5 days ago, he had become a vampire after being viciously attacked and pronounced dead. The weeks before Christmas had been hectic ones, with Doc adjusting to his new state. There had also been the attacks of other, insane vampires (soulless vampires, they were called) to deal with. Not to mention the fact his house had been part of a vicious legal battle. Very recently, he had learned Biff Tannen was the force behind the attacks on himself and his friends the McFlys. He and his closest friends; Marty, Jennifer, and Mysteria (a vampire like himself) had vowed to stop him by all means possible, thus forming the Time Trippers.

But, so far, the Time Trippers had had nothing to do. Everything had been quiet since the 23rd of December. Doc had moved back into his garage home after Christmas. His fiancé, Mysteria, was planning to do the same in a week or two. Doc wondered what it would be like having a woman around the house. He and Einstein had lived alone for so long....

Suddenly, Doc snapped free of his idle musings. His supersensitive nose and ears had picked up signs of movement nearby. Judging from the smell, it was a vampire. A small prickle of fear slid up his spine. "_Uh-oh. It's a soulless vampire. I'd better get ready to fight._"

Sure enough, a young woman burst from the snowy underbrush, her face contorted into the soulless vampire's mockery of human flesh. Green eyes glowing like searchlights and fangs fully extended, she flew at Doc, clawing him unmercifully.

Doc flung her away easily and quickly. The scratches she had managed to carve on his face healed in less than a second. He vamped out, hissing at his attacker much like she was hissing at him. He noted with interest that her clothes weren't wrecked yet. "_She must be new to the Change,_" he thought as they circled each other. "_Hopefully, she won't be much of a fight_."

The soulless vampire lunged at him, trying to tear out his throat. He grabbed her before she could land on him and threw her violently to the ground. She sprang up again and went for his throat once more. Doc held her off easily, and tore into her throat instead.

With a yowl, she broke free of him. Her red hair whipped her face as she hissed. "You must die," she rasped. "The master has decreed it."

"Attack me again, and you'll be the one killed," Doc growled, his adrenaline pumping. He detested soulless vampires, with good reason. "I _hate_ your kind."

The soulless vampire ignored his warning and lunged at him again. She grabbed him firmly by the throat and lifted him off the ground. Doc's own bat wings spread to keep him comfortably aloft as his hands clamped onto hers. 

For a moment, they remained like that, the girl trying to choke Doc, Doc slowly breaking her hands. They hissed angrily at each other, kicking and trying to bite. Then Doc got a closer look at the girl's face. He blinked several times in disbelief. Could it be? "Mary?" he whispered. "Mary Johnston, Class of 1962?"

Mary looked at him. Recognition dawned in her eyes too. "Professor Brown?" she asked, just as stunned as him.

They stared at each other for a minute, surprised at having encountered their past this way. Then Mary's expression of soulless rage returned. "The past is not important. Our leader says you have to die." She kicked him in the stomach as hard as she could.

Doc let go of her hands and grasped her by the waist. Putting all his strength into it, he threw her to the ground. She skidded for a couple of feet before coming to rest against a tree.

Doc landed as she got up to strike again. He didn't feel like fighting her any longer, especially now that he knew who she was. But how could he stop the fight? He didn't know if his hypnotic powers would work on another vampire.

Then, as she ran at him once more, Doc recalled what he always carried in his pocket. _That_ would work! With movements so quick you could blink and miss them, he yanked the sleep-inducer from his pocket. He turned it on at full power and aimed directly for Mary's eyes.

Mary stopped dead as the sleep-inducer strobed a light into her eyes. Doc could actually sense her mind quieting as it did its work. After a minute, he shut it off. She fell unconscious at his feet.

Doc sighed. That sleep-inducer he'd bought in 2015 was a lifesaver. He stuck it back in his pocket and snapped a branch off a tree. He slammed the sharper end into Mary's heart to keep her from waking up anytime soon.

As he picked her up to bring her to the crematorium, though, his nose informed him of more vampires approaching. A sixth sense told him it was more of Biff's group, around 5 to 6. Knowing he couldn't fight off a group of soulless vampires alone, Doc left Mary where she was. As they neared, he ran off and took to the sky, toward home. Halfway there, he called Marty on the mental connection they shared. "_Marty?_"

Marty was reading a chapter in his science book for school. He automatically looked up as Doc contacted him. "_Yeah, Doc? What's up?_"

"_Get Jennifer and meet me at my house in 10 minutes. I've got something to report to the Time Trippers._"

Thursday, January 2nd

9: 43 P. M.

"So Biff's trying to kill us again," Mysteria groaned as Doc informed the Time Trippers of his brush with Mary. "Well, the only thing to do is avoid his 'friends' and watch him as closely as possible. If he wants us out of the picture, he's planning something."

"So what else is new?" Jennifer joked. "He's a Tannen. Tannens are always up to something."

"But this is a something we've got to prevent," Mysteria said. "Right, Emmett?" Doc didn't reply. "Emmett?" 

Doc looked at her. "I'm sorry, Mystie. It's just that I _knew_ that soulless vampire before she Changed."

"Really? Who was she?" asked Marty, interested.

"Marty Johnston, a pupil of mine from when I taught at Hill Valley University. She graduated in 1962, meaning she'd be around 44 today. I read that she had vanished 4 days ago in the Telegraph. Now I know where she went."

An uneasy look came over Marty's face. "A lot of people have vanished since Christmas," he said slowly. "Dad always gets the paper so he can check the stocks and stuff, and he mentioned it to me."

"Yeah, my Dad talks about it a lot too," Jennifer added, Marty's uneasiness spreading to her. "I think it reminds him of what happened to my mom. A lot of them were street people, and those who weren't didn't have any family. Doc, do you think Biff's-building?"

Doc looked at the teens with nervous eyes. He could feel Marty's heartbeat quicken in his chest. He didn't blame him for getting scared; he was scared himself. He clearly recalled his first two tangles with soulless vampires, and neither were experiences he'd care to repeat. "It's quite possible. If Biff plans to conquer Hill Valley, or even the entire state of California, he'll need a lot of manpower."

"So what should we do, Doc?" Marty asked quietly. "We can't watch Biff every minute. You guys need to sleep, and Jenny and I gotta go to school."

"The first thing to do is to find out more about these disappearances. Marty, Jennifer, ask your fathers for back copies of the Telegraph. If they don't keep them, try the library or their offices. And look at the Grass Valley paper too."

"Grass Valley? Why Grass Valley?"

"It's only 12 miles away from us, Marty. Biff might be getting new recruits from there too. Report back to us as soon as you know anything. Mystie, you and I will monitor the vampire population. You know the members better than I do, so tell me if you see a stranger."

"Gotcha. Shouldn't we also give some warning to the McFlys?"

"Of course, of course. I'll phone them right away." Doc let out a sigh. "Fingers crossed we can stop Biff's plan before any catastrophic events happen." He held out his hand, and everyone piled one on top. "We're all together on this."

"You bet, Doc."


	2. A Night Out Gone Wrong

Chapter 2

Sunday, January 5th, 1986

Hill Valley, California

8: 22 P. M.

Marty and Jennifer pulled up to Doc's house via the next-door Burger King. They were there to go on a double date with Doc and Mysteria to the movies. "Boy, I can tell you, I need a break," Jennifer commented, hopping out of the 4x4. 

"Yeah, me too," agreed Marty, looking worn out. For the past 3 days he and Jennifer had been studying the disappearances in Hill Valley and Grass Valley, diligently reporting their findings by telepathy. The results were very disturbing. All of the people kidnaped had vanished without a trace. All of them had no family around to miss them. And all had been gone the necessary 3 days to make a new vampire. "I'm starting to wonder if I should start sleeping with a stake under my pillow."

"_I'm_ wondering whether I should sleep _at all_," Jennifer confessed. "Mystie told me that she's seen 5 new vampires in town, all soulless. She said that's a lot of new vampires for a small town like Hill Valley."

"Doc told me Biff's acting kinda cocky these nights. So's his gang." He shivered. "I hope we get out of this one safe. The last thing I need is another late-night visit from Biff's friends."

Jennifer kissed him. "Doc and Mystie won't let anything happen to us. But I really don't want to talk about this sort of stuff on a date," she added with a slight chuckle.

Marty smiled. "Me neither. C'mon, let's see if Doc and Mystie are ready to go."

The teens found their vampire friends in the garage, wrapping small bottles of blood in heating pads. "Hey, Doc. Hey Mysteria," Marty greeted them. "Smuggling in a snack?"

"It's not like we can buy what they're serving," Mystie grinned. "All ready to take a break from this gloom?"

"Definitely. What movie are we going to, anyway? A vampire movie?" asked Jennifer. "They're showing Bloodquest at the Essex."

"Nope, although we do plan to see Bloodquest later, at the annual film festival," Doc said, slipping his bottle of blood into a secret pocket on the inside of his coat. "We're seeing Terminator 2: Judgment Day."

"Terminator 2?" Marty repeated incredulously. "Doc, if The Terminator got a sequel, I think we'd hear something about it."

"Not if the sequel opened in 1991."

Jennifer let out an excited squeal. "We're going on a time-travel date? Oh, cool!"

"Way heavy, Doc," Marty said, impressed. "But how will we all fit in the DeLorean? I know for a fact it only seats 2. Are we going in shifts?"

"No, because now the time machine seats 4," Doc told him with a grin. "I went to 2015 again 2 days ago and got the rear end lengthened enough to fit 2 small seats in. I'm capable of sitting back there if I pull my legs into my body, so you two, being of smaller height and mass, should be comfortable for a time trip."

"Damn. I was hoping Jennifer would have to sit on my lap again," Marty joked.

"I still can, if you want," Jennifer giggled, lightly squeezing his hand. Marty grinned broadly.

"I'd make the same offer if you didn't have to drive," Mysteria assured Doc, causing him to grin a lot like Marty. "You're sure we're going to a night show?"

"Yes, I've checked it 3 times," Doc nodded with a sigh. "And I've got the tickets in my wallet, so we won't have to stand in line for hours. I haven't forgotten anything, Mystie."

"I know, but it's my first time trip with all my friends, and I don't want anything to ruin it," Mysteria said, fussing over her favorite dress.

"_If that's the case, she'll be a demon at our wedding,_" Doc told Marty secretly.

"Oh, I'm so excited," Mysteria added as she hid her bottle of blood. "A time trip to see the sequel of one of my favorite movies. Around the time of its national opening too, right Emmett?"

"Only the best for my girlfriend," Doc said sweetly. "The film opens on July 4th, and we're going to see it on July 7th." He patted Einstein. "Your supper should be arriving within the hour, and I've left the back door open so you can play and go to the bathroom. We should be back in an hour, present time. Be a good dog."

"_I will Doc. Have fun with your human friends._" Einstein trotted into the backyard to play.

Doc smiled briefly after his dog, then retrieved some soda cans from the trash can. He led the way past his van to the DeLorean. Sure enough, it was a few inches longer. Doc opened up Mr. Fusion and dumped in the soda cans as everyone climbed in.

"I certainly hope it's good," Mysteria said, letting Jennifer climb in before her. "Practically every movie sequel I've seen is worthless."

"I'm fairly sure it's good. I bought a 2015 paper to read while in that year, and it advertised all _3_ Terminators back to back to back at the Holomax. If it springs its own sequel, the film must have it's merits."

Marty climbed into the brand-new backseat. It was slightly cramped, but the teen thought he'd live. It was only for a few seconds. He looked over at the flux capacitor, fluxing away steadily between his and Jennifer's seat. "Hey, Doc," he asked as his best friend climbed in the front, "how does this thing work, anyway?"

"I don't know if you'd be able to understand it," Doc confessed, typing in the time coordinates. "I'll do my best, based on my initial designs and knowledge of physics. You've learned about Einstein's Theory of Relativity, right?"

"Sure. The faster you go, the slower time goes."

"That's a very basic definition, but it captures the spirit of the idea. Taken to its logical extreme, if you could go the speed of light, time would completely stop for you. If you go even faster, you could conceivably travel within time itself. That's what I based my idea for the flux capacitor on. A capacitor, assuming you don't know, is a device used to temporarily store charge, then release it in a burst. It is usually made of two metal plates, with a conductor of some sort between. Flux is the flow of energy as a liquid, or at least liquid-like. In our case, the energy is time energy. The flux capacitor stores the time energy, then, with fuel provided by Mr. Fusion, releases it in a burst when we hit 88 miles per hour. This burst of flux pushes us just past the speed of light, allowing us to circumnavigate many years in an instant."

Doc turned around, expecting to see that familiar lost look on Marty's face. But as he turned to apologize for getting so technical, Marty inadvertently transmitted to him a very strange thought. "_Holy shit, I sorta understood that!_"

"You're kidding me," Doc said aloud, staring at his friend's astonished expression. "How much of it did you understand?"

"The stuff where you were talking about relativity. You lost me when you started on the flux capacitor."

"Whew," Jennifer mock-sighed. "For a moment, I thought the end of the world was coming." Marty gave her a playful slap on the shoulder.

"Is everyone settled?" Doc asked, trying to distract himself from the fact Marty was starting to understand him. "Then seatbelts on- there should be a lap belt back there, kids- and prepare yourselves for temporal displacement." He pulled out into the parking lot of Burger King. The sky was cloudy, and the road clear, perfect take-off conditions. Doc flipped the hover conversion switch and gunned the car into the sky.

July 7th, 1991

Hill Valley, California

7: 35 P. M.

With a triple sonic boom, the DeLorean reappeared in the future. Marty, Jennifer, and Mysteria looked around excitedly as Doc cautiously landed the car in an alley near the courthouse. "Boy, the future," Marty whispered. "What's it like in the 90's, Doc?"

"I don't really know. I skipped this whole decade when I went to the future. I _do _know there are a lot more computers, all much more powerful than our current 80's models. And they're all connected to create the World Wide Web, also known as the Internet, which contains every bit of information you could ever need, and more." He looked at his young charges severely. "But that's all I'm going to tell you, before you start pestering me for information about your future selves."

"Why must you know us so well?" Marty complained with a smile. "I just hope I'm rich. Marty McFly, world-famous rock star," he mumbled dreamily, gazing off into space.

"Money can't buy happiness, Marty," Doc counseled. 

"Yeah, but it makes it a whole lot easier to live." Doc shook his head hopelessly. "I heard that. Sometimes you act like you were never a teenager yourself."

"I wasn't one like you. You have to remember, I grew up completely differently from you. But I will admit wanting to stay rich," he added with a grin, slipping his arm around Marty's shoulders. Marty smiled back and leaned against him a little.

They were proceeding to the movie theater when Mysteria stopped suddenly. "Mystie? What is it, honey?" Doc asked, concerned.

"I just had a nasty thought. What if our older selves decided to come to the movies tonight too?"

"Don't worry, Mysteria. Our older selves are still us. They'll remember this trip and avoid the theater tonight." He walked up to the ticket booth and handed their prepaid tickets over. "Relax. Enjoy the movie. Nothing is going to happen to us."

July 7th

9: 57 P. M.

The Time Trippers exited the theater, talking excitedly about the movie. "That was the coolest," Jennifer said. "That new terminator gave me the creeps. Terrific."

"Sarah Conner was even better than she was in the original Terminator," Mystie babbled. "She's a lot tougher now. And her dedication to her goal, after all she went through...."

"What _I_ liked best was that they made Arnie the _good_ guy," Marty grinned. "It was weird, seeing a terminator work for the Human Resistance, instead of against it. And seeing him all smashed up was really heavy. I couldn't tell that stuff was makeup."

"What was your favorite part, honey?" Mysteria asked, her arm around his waist as they headed back to the car.

"Seeing our old friend the paradox time-line," Doc chuckled. "I know that time travel isn't the focus of the movie, but I find it hilarious how film makers completely overlook the fact that their timelines can't-"

Suddenly, Doc froze, his eyes locked onto the sky. For a moment, his heart stopped beating. Puzzled, everyone looked where he was staring. In the distance, they could see a faint shimmering, like a ripple on water, coming closer and closer. "What the hell is that?" Marty wondered.

Doc knew _exactly_ what that ripple was. A cold fear seized him. "Get in the car. _NOW_."

Doc's tone of voice sent chills up everyone's spines. They all got in the car as quickly as possible. Doc jumped in, immediately hit the hover conversion, and flew away as fast as he could from the gaining ripple. With one hand, he quickly punched in-

JAN 05 1986 9: 24 P. M.

Marty looked back at the ripple. To his shock, behind it everything looked changed. The buildings suddenly became worn and wrecked as the ripple passed over them. "Jesus Christ, Doc, what _is_ this thing?!" he cried, terrified.

"It's a time ripple. I'll explain further once we're safely back in our own time. Buckle up and hang on!" Doc hit the gas, accelerating to 88 mph in 3 seconds. The DeLorean vanished back to its own time before the ripple could catch it.


	3. The Future's Not What It Used To Be

Chapter 3

Sunday, January 5th, 1986

Hill Valley, California

9: 24 P. M.

They reappeared flying high over the famous Clock Tower. Doc turned back toward his home, sighing in relief. "Whew! I thought we would be caught in that. Though I suppose my panic was really unnecessary," he apologized to his friends as they landed. "I simply panicked when I saw the time ripple."

"What's a time ripple?" Marty demanded.

Doc responded with a question. "Marty, have you ever wondered why only your_ images_were fading from the photograph when you were trapped in 1955? Were you ever curious about why the photograph _itself_ wasn't vanishing?"

"Yeah, I have. But what's _that _got to do with anything?"

"A lot." Doc switched into 'Lecture' mode. "You see, an image from a photograph is a fairly easy thing to vanish. It's just a thing printed on a special paper. The photograph is a physical object and needs more time to disappear. If you had not succeeded in restoring your time line and vanished, the photograph would have followed in a day or two. After all, why would anyone take a picture of empty space? The vanishing would have been accomplished by a time ripple-an actual movement in time that erases completely any evidence that the former time line existed. It is the space-time continuum correcting itself. Even your erasure from existence is a form of time rippling."

"How do you know so much about them, Doc?"

"I saw something time ripple before. Remember the blank fax I showed you that represented Marty's bad future? A few days later, as I was examining it to make sure the words were completely gone, it shimmered, rippled like water, and vanished! There wasn't a trace of it left. I immediately went to check on Marty's future and found he still seemed as content as ever. I read up on some time-travel theories and concluded that the paper vanished because it was redundant to the current time line."

"And that thing we saw was one of those?" Mystie asked. 

"Precisely. On a much grander scale, of course. It was changing the future to fit the current time line."

"But Doc," Jennifer pointed out, puzzled, "you told us we go to the most likely future of the moment. How could a time ripple get us?"

"Apparently something happened after we vanished from this time that had such a great impact on the space-time continuum, it started a time ripple to change the future in a way that wouldn't, for lack of a better word, overload it," Doc theorized.

"It was more like a time _shockwave_," Mystie commented, pale. "Could it really have hurt us, Emmett?"

"I don't know. The one that erased the fax didn't harm me in the slightest. But that one was small, a minor glitch. A large one could have had an effect on us. That's why I didn't want to get caught in it. I was afraid."

"I don't blame you, Doc," Marty admitted. "I saw past the time ripple. Hill Valley looked a lot different. A lot of the buildings were wrecked and boarded up. What do you think happened to the future?"

"I'm not sure. But I think the Time Trippers should live up to their name and investigate."

Monday, January 6th, 1986

7: 14 P. M.

"Deja-vu," Marty commented as he and Jennifer returned to Doc's house. "That must happen a lot when you time-travel and stuff."

"Marty, I'm scared. I hope that the time ripple didn't mean anything really horrible was going to happen to the future."

"Jen, I don't know what to tell you. I saw that those buildings behind the time ripple were trashed."

"Renovations?" Jennifer suggested weakly. Marty looked at her. She sighed. "Yeah, I know. I feel it in my gut too. Something really bad has happened."

"Technically, going to happen," a voice spoke up. The teens both turned to see Doc waiting by the fence for them. "How are you two doing?"

"Nervous as hell. You?"

"I'm also experiencing increased nervous tensions. This time ripple is obviously heralding an extremely significant event. Our lives could hang in the balance."

"Stop being so melodramatic," Marty complained. "I'm freaking out as is."

"Sorry. I get this way when I'm frightened." He clapped his hands. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah, I guess. When are we going?" Jennifer asked as Doc led them into the garage. 

"Present time, in a minute. Future time, 10 years from now. The time ripple should have already passed through that date, and I feel it's far enough into the future to serve our present purpose."

"Do you think we'll see our future selves?" Despite her worry over the time ripple, Jennifer was still excited enough about going to the future to ask that question.

"If we do, _do not_ talk to them," Doc warned. "No person should know too much about his destiny. Besides, you'd probably faint once you got a good look at their face."

"Why? We'd know it was us," Marty said, backing up his girlfriend.

"That's just it. Seeing yourself aged would be a traumatic experience. So forget it." Jennifer pouted.

"Stop that," said Mysteria, waiting by the car. "He is _not_ being a stubborn old fart. He's worried about you. He doesn't want you to get hurt, that's all."

"How could finding out about my future hurt me?" Jennifer protested.

Doc paused in his search through the garbage can. Unbidden, those 2 horrible newspaper headlines from the bad future slipped into his mind. "It hurt me," he whispered.

"Don't start crying again," Marty begged. "That future's gone. I didn't race Needles, and now my future's bright."

"True- but what future replaced it?"

January 6th, 1996

7: 30 P. M.

As the DeLorean burst into the future, Marty and Jennifer felt the hair on the back of their necks rise. They grabbed each other's hands as tightly as possible, starting to sweat. "Jesus Christ," Marty mumbled. "There must be a lot of soulless vampires around. I've never been so scared in my life."

Doc sniffed the air, counting the number of infected blood scents he picked up. "Great Scott!" he gasped. "I'm smelling at _least_ 50 vampires in this vicinity! Hill Valley could _never_support a population that large, especially if the majority of vampires are soulless!"

"And especially not in this condition," Mysteria said, staring out the window. "Look around. The place is completely ruined."

The Time Trippers looked around. Hill Valley was a wasteland. Houses were boarded up and/or falling apart. Businesses looked like they had been through a few L. A. riots. The roads were cracked and filled with potholes. A few smashed and abandoned cars stood as a mute testament to what had wrecked their hometown.

Mysteria sniffed the air wildly. "There's no people! The only non-vampire blood scents I'm getting are coming from the backseats! How can vampires live here with no people?"

Jennifer stared at her hometown, now in ruins. "I wanted to _see_ Terminator 2," she mumbled in shock. "Not _live_ it."

"But there has to be people," Marty protested. "Like Mystie said, vampires can't live without people. Turn on the radio, Doc."

Doc clicked it on. There wasn't even a burst of static from the station it was set on. He fiddled with the dial. Every station he tried was nothing but dead air. "Nothing," he whispered, clicking it back off. "Absolutely nothing."

Mysteria rolled down her window and listened carefully for signs of life. "There's a big hullabaloo down by the courthouse. I think we should check it out."

"Me too, but not in a flying DeLorean. The last thing we want is to attract attention to ourselves." He landed behind a large house that was falling apart in what was once Lyons Estates. Everyone got out, staying in a tight huddle as Doc locked the doors. "I should go to 2019 and see if they have Identi-Pad carlocks," he commented. "I don't feel safe leaving our only mode of transportation here."

"We'll just have to take the chance, Emmett. Let's go." They walked towards the courthouse, holding hands as tightly as possible.


	4. Hell Valley

Chapter 4

January 6th

8: 00 P. M.

As they neared the courthouse, the teens began to shiver. "I think we just found out where all those soulless vampires were," Jennifer whimpered, her grip on Mysteria's hand tightening.

"Do you want to turn back?" Doc asked. Marty's heartbeat sounded and felt like a motorboat in his chest. "We don't have to see."

Marty took a few deep breaths to calm himself. "No. I gotta see what happened to my hometown. Let's keep going." They continued on, rounding the corner.

They stopped dead. The street was _littered_ with corpses in various stages of decomposition. Most had looks of pure terror and pain on their rotting faces. The smell indicated that they were all humans or souled vampires. "Oh my God," Mysteria whispered, stunned.

"What in the name of Sir Issac H. Newton happened here?" Doc demanded, horrified. 

"I don't know, and I'm not sure I want to know." Marty stared at the piles of bodies that surrounded them, willing himself not to throw up. Being around so much death made him extremely uncomfortable. "Oh, shit, J. J.," he whispered, recognizing one corpse as The Pinhead's keyboardist, Jeffery James Falls. "Now I _really_ feel like I'm gonna vomit."

"Me too. That's Cheryl from the history club," Jennifer pointed out nearby. "And Nancy from science class."

"Spydo's right next to her," Marty shuddered. "We gotta get out of here, Doc. I know too many of these people."

"So do I," Mystie admitted, making a face. "But what happened to all of them? And how'd they get here?"

Doc knelt by a corpse, studying it. He found two holes in the neck, confirming the blood had been drained. But that wasn't the cause of death. "From the injuries, I'd say they were-" he shuddered as stood up "-_tortured_ to death, and then just flung here to decompose naturally."

Mysteria shook her head. "But how could so many soulless vampires-"

Doc looked at her. "I believe we already know the answer to that question."

"NO. I refuse to believe it. It couldn't happen," Mysteria snapped, denying what she knew was true.

"You mean Biff- _wins_?" Jennifer whispered, picking up on Doc's meaning. "Oh, Doc, that can't be true."

"There's only one way to find out." Doc led the Time Trippers to the Clock Tower.

Once they arrived, the full horror of the future hit them. Everything except the courthouse/Clock Tower was in ruins. The smell of decaying bodies seemed to have soaked into every spare nook and cranny. Gathered in what was once a parking lot was a huge group of soulless vampires. They were watching one of their own strangle a young woman with fiendish glee, urging the killer to break her arm or smash in a eye. When she finally expired from lack of oxygen, the crowd let out a cheer.

The killer threw the dead woman over his shoulder and brought her up to a pair of soulless vampires who sat on folding chairs on the courthouse steps. "For you, my liege," he said, plopping her in the male's lap. He fell back into the crowd as the apparent King of the Vampires ripped open the dead woman's throat. "Always tastes better when they're scared," he growled.

"_That's Biff all right_," Jennifer thought, not wanting to speak for fear the crowd would hear her. "_Figures he'd crown himself king and make everybody obey him. But who's that woman sitting next to him? She looks kinda familiar._"

The queen hissed at the king. "I deserve some too," she snapped, clawing him viciously. "Quickly, before it all goes bad."

"Oh, here," Biff snarled, throwing the body at her. The queen hungrily lapped the still liquid blood, her face coming into clearer view.

Marty had never known if it was possible to whisper a scream. He found out quickly. "MOM!" he cried, too afraid to raise his voice. "Jesus Christ, it's my mother!"

Doc slid a comforting arm around Marty's shoulders. "_Biff always loved her. He must have figured he should go for it. The bastard. I'm sorry._" Marty leaned into him, not looking at the new Lorraine.

Lorraine finished her portion. She causally kicked the body aside. "Go get a new one," she commanded the soulless vampire nearest. He scurried to obey, entering the courthouse. She sighed. "Worthless creatures."

"Why did he go into the courthouse?" Mystie wondered, not at all sure she wanted to find out.

"I'll see. Stay here, out of sight." He gave his girlfriend a quick kiss and took to the air. He flew as high as he dared over the soulless vampire gathering. They didn't even notice him, too busy in watching a fight between 2 of their own. He landed on the ledge of the Clock Tower and went inside via the trap door.

He flew down the many flights of stairs to the top, letting himself enjoy the sensations. He needed some pleasure right now, to sustain him in being in this world. He landed by the door and peeked out through the crack. What he saw made everything worse.

Roughly constructed cages filled the courthouse, penning humans and souled vampires. A few were already dead, and many were starved and tired. Doc could count the ribs on one. It reminded him of the Holocaust. A few souled vampires tried their cage, only to be beaten down by the caretakers, Match, Skinhead, and 3-D. "_This isn't Hill Valley any more. This is _Hell _Valley._"

"_I couldn't agree with you more, Doc,_" Marty thought, startling the scientist. "_What's inside the courthouse? Or don't we want to know?_"

"_Humans and souled vampires in cages,_" Doc thought back, sending Marty a picture of what he saw. He felt Marty shiver as he received it. "_They must be used for food and sport. It's horrible_."

The soulless vampire who'd been sent to get a new victim appeared on the scene. "Match! How bout one of those creeps?" he called, indicating a souled vampire cage. Match grinned wickedly back at him and opened it. The souled vampires tried desperately to fight him. Match simply pushed them back and pulled a woman with jet-black hair from the bunch. She hissed and attempted to claw him. 

Match slapped her and handed her over. "She's feisty. Great entertainment. I'm been meaning to punish her for a week." The souled vampire snapped at him.

Doc felt his heart stop beating. The woman struggling in vain against her captors had a very familiar blood scent. "Mystie," he whispered intensely. It took all he had not to go down there and rescue her. "_That's not my Mystie. . . My Mystie's safe. . . ._" he reminded himself sternly. "_Don't meddle in future events._"

Still, he couldn't watch her being tortured to death. He left the Clock Tower, shaking with disgust and fear. How could a nice place like Hill Valley end up like this?

Mysteria held her arms out to him as he landed. "Marty was still tuned in. He told me," she said, as white as a sheet. "To come to that. . . ."

Doc grabbed her and held her as tight as he dared. "I couldn't watch," he whispered. "I couldn't watch you die by those things' hands. Mystie, I love you so much." He kissed her as hard as he could. "You too, kids. If anything's happened to you. . . ." He pulled them close, feeling Marty's precious heartbeat pound in his chest.

They cuddled together, forgetting momentarily the world of misery that surrounded them. Then Doc separated them, a determined look on his face. "This is the future that results from Biff winning our fight against him," he restated. "We need to go back and stop this future from ever happening. There's no fate but what you make."

"That's right! Let's get out of here." The Time Trippers went back to the DeLorean, trying to ignore the shouts of the vampires behind them. They had almost forgotten this was the future, not the present.

As they reentered the backyard where the DeLorean was stowed, Marty noticed the back door of the house was open. "Hey Doc, we might have company," he warned, pointing.

Doc sniffed. "It's human and dead. We don't need to worry about it." He gathered garbage to load into Mr. Fusion. Marty looked back at the door. Morbidly curious, he went inside and looked around, wondering who had been killed in here.

Doc saw him go inside. "Marty," he sighed, dumping his collection into Mr. Fusion. He followed the teen's heartbeat to catch up with him. "Why do you want to see a deceased person? We've seen all we need to."

"I gotta know if I know who it is," Marty said. "Maybe it's-"his voice cracked slightly "-it's my dad, or another Pinhead. It'll only take a sec, Doc."

"Marty, it will only traumatize you further," Doc argued, pulling his friend back. "Come back to the car."

Marty pulled away. "Doc, I saw something in that kitchen. It looked like legs. I gotta take one quick look."

"Oh, all right," Doc sighed. "One quick look. I can't fathom the teenage mind sometimes." He and Marty entered the kitchen, looking at the legs under the kitchen table. "Please don't be Jenny," Marty begged as they crouched down to look.

It wasn't Jennifer. It was someone neither of them would have expected. Marty gaped, uncomprehending. Doc shut his eyes tight, as if trying to will the sight away.

The corpse was Marty.__

He resembled most of the other dead bodies they'd seen. His throat had been ripped out and the blood drained. A few bones were broken and bruises were still faintly purple on his pale skin. There was an absolutely horrific look of terror on his face. Marty turned away and became violently ill. Doc took him in his arms, offering what comfort he could. "Marty, it can't hurt you. It's dead."

"It's _me_, Doc!" Marty sobbed, burying his face in Doc's chest. "They got me! They tore me up." He forced another glance at his corpse and nearly became sick again. "They even burned me."

Doc looked at Dead Marty. He could only imagine what his best friend had gone through. He held back tears of his own as he looked over the corpse. There was even a-

_There was even a hand clutching Dead Marty's own._

Doc stared at the hand. It was all that was left of a body, burnt to a crisp. But even blackened and twisted, Doc recognized it.

His own.

Doc felt his own wave of nausea envelop him. He turned and added to the vomit puddle Marty had created. "No, Marty," he said when he trusted himself to talk. "The person they burned was me. I simply died holding onto you."

Marty looked again and saw Dead Doc's ashes and cooked hand. He was immediately sick again."Jesus, Doc. . . ."

"I know. Let's go before the girls get curious." He stood up, pulling Marty up with him. They walked out together, reaffirming to themselves that yes, they were still alive.

The girls were waiting impatiently beside the car. Jennifer looked disgustedly at Marty. "For God's sake, Marty, why did you-"

Her tone abruptly changed as she got a good look at her boyfriend's face. "Marty? What happened in there? Was it your dad?"

Marty shook his head. "Me. And Doc. Or, what's left of Doc. They musta torched him before. . . ." He came dangerously close to sobbing again. "I'm all beat up, and Doc's hand is-"

"Still clutching Dead Marty's," Doc finished, feeling faint. It was one thing to read about your death, quite another to discover your own corpse. "We both vomited when we saw it."

"You poor guys." Jennifer and Mysteria tried to calm their boyfriends. "I'm so sorry you had to see that."

"Listen, once we get home, I'll make you forget that you ever saw them," Mysteria promised. "Unless you would prefer to remember. . . ."

"Forget, definitely forget," Marty said.

"Are you sure vampire hypnosis will work on a fellow vampire?" Doc asked.

"If the vampire wants to be hypnotized."

"Then it should work very quickly."

"Come on," Jennifer said. "Let's blow this joint."


	5. A Good Plan, But

Chapter 5

Monday, January 6th, 1986

Hill Valley, California

7: 20 P. M.

It was a group of very subdued Time Trippers that crossed the time barrier back to 1986. "We gotta stop it," Jennifer murmured as Doc landed and drove back to his house. "We simply can't let that future happen."

"But how?" asked Mysteria, feeling helpless. The idea that she could become a toy of her greatest enemies had numbed her brain. "I can't believe that it actually happens. No vampire population could grow that big without people noticing, and/or without some sort of famine for us."

"We have to examine the facts closely and decide on the most probable cause of that time stream," Doc said impressively. "Then we can decide on the course of action best suited to preventing the effect." He parked the car in his garage and turned to face the back. "What are the facts?"

"Biff Tannen is trying to take over the world," Jennifer snorted. "He's responsible for all this."

"Precisely. To be more exact, Biff building up an army of soulless vampires is what causes the disaster in the future. Hill Valley was overwhelmed by soulless vampires. Nobody had a chance to fight back. We must stop him from making his group any larger."

"But how is he keeping all of them under control? And _where_ is he keeping all of them?" Mystie wondered. "God knows Hill Valley couldn't handle a major infestation of vampires."

"I estimate that the main metropolis of our town could support perhaps 15 to 20 vampires, the majority souled," Doc said. "However, there's some farmland nearby, like the new Peabody Farm. It's possible Biff is holding the majority of his army on an abandoned farm and feeding them on stray animals. As to how he's doing it, he's as violent as the rest of them. He probably lets them fight among themselves in order to keep them under control." Doc paused for breath. "Unfortunately, this seems to prove Biff does have a measure of intelligence."

"I'd call it street smarts," Marty suggested, unable to see an intelligent Biff. "He definitely didn't learn this stuff in school or on the job. How do we stop him?"

"I don't know," Doc sighed. "We're quite limited in our resources. We're only 4 people with no formal combat training. How could we stop _any_ number of soulless vampires?"

"We did it before at the McFlys," Mysteria argued. "We can do it again."

"Yeah, but we'd probably need an army of our own," Marty muttered.

Doc's eyes lit up. "Marty, that's brilliant! Why didn't _I_ think of that?"

"What did I think of, Doc?" Marty inquired, lost.

"We need our own help! Mystie, we're not the only souled vampires in Hill Valley, are we?"

"No, of course not!" Mystie said, catching on. "I can get them and explain our predicament, leaving out the time travel of course. I'm sure they'd be happy to help!"

"Do you think there will be enough?" Jennifer asked. "Remember what Doc said."

"There should be. I said that the majority of the vampires would have to be souled. Once we even up our numbers, it should be a fair fight. Mentally we differ enormously, but physically souled and soulless are perfectly alike. And any Partial vampires like yourselves can help too," Doc reassured her. "In the end, we should have enough of an advantage in numbers and intelligence to defeat Biff."

"Great! And that future we just saw will disappear?" Marty asked eagerly.

"Exactly. The time stream will realign itself to the future _I_ saw for Hill Valley. That alternate future will fade away."

"Speaking of fading away, I think I need to make some memories of yours fade away," Mysteria gently reminded him. Doc and Marty nodded and obediently followed her inside.

Monday, January 6th

8: 27 P. M.

Jennifer looked up from her playing cards. She listened to whatever she had heard for a moment, then nodded. "Mystie's bringing back the souled vampires she found," she reported to the guys. "She seemed upset about something. Wouldn't tell me over the mental link."

"She's probably still upset about Hell Valley," Doc theorized, studying his cards. He and his friends were playing Go Fish to pass the time. "I can't say that I blame her. It's bothering me too. Seeing those corpses reminded me of my own death in the alternate 2015." He shuddered. "But with a little luck, we'll stop it from ever happening." He rearranged some of his cards. "Do you have any 3s, Jennifer?"

Jennifer handed over the 3 of Spades, thankful that Mysteria had wiped the boys' memories clean of seeing their own corpses. She hadn't asked them about it yet, but neither seemed to recall seeing their dead bodies. "By the way, what _did _you guys see in that house?"

"Pardon?"

"You know. The house we parked behind."

"We didn't see anything," Marty said with a strange look. "Doc pulled me out before I could find whoever had died inside."

"Marty, I didn't want you to be traumatized by seeing the body of a friend. What if it had been Jennifer in there?" Doc asked, setting aside a set of cards. 

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I wouldn't have wanted to see Jenny with her throat ripped out." He kissed her. "Why'd you ask?"

"Just curious." She smiled inwardly. "Good thing it wasn't your dead bodies. How about any 5s from you, Doc?"

"Perish the thought of ever seeing my own corpse," Doc shuddered, handing over two 5s. "I hope you appreciate those. It took a lot of fishing to get them."

"Be quiet; you're winning," Marty told him with a barely-concealed grin. Doc smiled back and patted the large pile of cards beside him. "While you're giving up cards, how about some 7s for me?"

"Sorry Marty. Go Fish," Doc said with a shrug. Marty grumbled and reached for the pile of cards.

Mysteria chose the moment to enter the house, trailing 4 men and a woman. "Hi, honey," she sighed, kissing Doc.

"Hi. You sound very tired. Hard search?"

"You ain't kidding," she said, plopping down next to him. She indicated the 5 people standing politely to the side. "May I introduce James Curdala, Natalie Brabant, Louis Drayven, Henry Fleming and Magnus Carpenter."

"Hi. I haven't seen you before," Louis commented, shaking hands with Doc. "At least, not as a vampire. And I know every souled vampire in Hill Valley. How old are you as a vampire?"

"3 weeks, and 3 days," Doc told him. "I'd give you an hour and minute estimate if I knew it."

"That won't be necessary," Louis chuckled.

"You're lucky to have a souled vampire who adores you as your mentor," Natalie said with a friendly smile. "My mentor abandoned me shortly after I Changed." Her smile lessened. "Is it true you burned down your house?"

"Completely by accident," Doc assured her. "An experiment simply got out of control." She went back to smiling.

"I couldn't abandon my future husband, could I?" asked Mystie with a grin, squeezing Doc gently. Her smile faded to nothing, though, as she turned to face him. "We've gotten a monkey wrench thrown in our plans, Emmett."

Doc set down his cards, wondering what she meant. "What do you mean, Mystie? Once you track down the rest of the souled vampires, with Louis's help, we-"

"That's just it. There _aren't_ any more. We 7 are the last of them."

Doc stared at her. "You're joking. There _can't_ be only 7 of us. Hill Valley could support, with no soulless competition, 20 of us! There _has_ to be more!"

Louis sadly shook his head. "We're the only ones left. There used to be a lot more souled vampires here, and fewer soulless ones. We lived peacefully off animal blood and the occasional human donor. Then, for some reason, the soulless vampires ganged up on us. They worked together to destroy us than alone. It took us completely by surprise, and we were practically wiped out."

"We're in hiding," added James nervously. He was a fidgety sort of person, always doing something. "If the soulless ones find us, we'll be taken to the crematorium for sure." 

"We're too afraid to make Partials," Magnus answered Doc, reading his mind. "We don't want any innocent humans tortured to death for being in league with us. Your Martin and Mysteria's Jennifer are the only Partials in Hill Valley."

Henry glared at Doc with nasty-looking blue eyes. "Mysteria said you know who's behind us getting our butts kicked. Please enlighten us so we can go rip his throat out."

Doc had a hunch he and Henry were not going to become friends. "Biff Tannen is the leader of the soulless vampires, but I'd wait to rip his throat out," he cautioned.

"Why? Aren't you the nutty who burnt down his own house?"

"As I told you before, that was an accident," Doc said, with a sigh. "I assume you all know about the disappearances locally these past few days." Puzzled nods. "We have reason to believe Biff 'recruited' those unfortunates for his army. He'd simply let them tear you to pieces."

The souled vampires looked at each other. "Biff Tannen? The car waxer? Leader of an undead army?" Magnus said skeptically.

"It's true," Marty insisted. "We can tell you how we found out about it." The Time Trippers proceeded to relate their incredible story of Doc's first weeks as a vampire. The souled vampires were completely enthralled, barely even breathing as they listened. They were convinced as Doc wound up with their investigation of the disappearances.

"How many people vanished?" Louis asked as the group ended. "We know we started out with 11 soulless vampires."

"There were 7 here," Marty said. "All homeless people or people with no family to miss them."

"Grass Valley nearby lost 5," Jennifer reported. "On a hunch, we also checked the San Francisco papers. 9 missing there."

Doc did a quick add-up. "32 soulless vampires to 7 souled ones," he moaned. "And more to come, I'm sure. Biff won't stop until he's certain he can win."

"Then let's kill them all before the numbers grow any further," Henry suggested, all for immediate action.

"Henry, have you absolutely no sense?" Mystie demanded. "We'd be caught and charged with murder. We need a strategy."

"I've got a strategy. Use the 2 Partials as bait."

Doc glared at him, his fangs extending. "Would you care to repeat that?" he growled. "I'll have you know Marty and Jennifer were nearly killed by a soulless vampire. I will _not_ allow you to risk their lives in what would be a plan of immense folly."

"This from the town crackpot," Henry hissed back, his eyes beginning to glow.

"Enough, you 2," Louis ordered. "Dr. Brown's right. If we want to win this war, we'll need cunning along with strength of numbers."

"But we have no numbers," Magnus reminded him. "Do we rely on just cunning for now?"

"Or do we _create_ numbers?" Natalie asked.

"We can't afford too," James said. "Biff's got a monopoly on the ones we could safely convert. We'd be caught and burned."

"So why don't we just find the hideout and set it aflame?" Henry persisted.

"We're outnumbered 32: 7," Doc said, wondering how dense a guy could be. "And I'm sure Biff and his gang are Partials, so Marty and Jennifer would have their own battle to fight. We'd be killed, and the teens would be-" he paused from disgust "would be brought over to their side."

"We have to take that chance! Kill them all!"

"Oh, shut up!" Natalie snapped. "Sometimes I think you'd make a better soulless vampire than a souled one!" Henry sulked, but shut his mouth. "I'm sorry, Dr. Brown," she apologized for him. "I know how close you must be to your Partial."

"It's impossible _not_ to be close," Doc smiled, automatically placing his hand over his heart to feel the double pulsations. Then he became serious again. "Have any of you any ideas on how to stop Biff? We can't let him win. The world wouldn't be fit to live in if he won." He looked at them with pleading eyes. "Please help us. We can't do this alone."

"We're sorry, Dr. Brown," Louis apologized. "We'd love to fight Biff, but like you said, we're too outnumbered. We'll be happy to help in other ways, though."

"Okay," Doc said sadly, looking at Marty. The teen looked back just as sadly. Suddenly, that horrible future seemed inevitable.


	6. Darkness Falls

Chapter 6

Wednesday, January 8th, 1986

Hill Valley, California

8: 19 P. M.

Doc and Mysteria roamed the streets of Hill Valley, Doc's arm around Mystie's shoulders. They were on a date, trying to forget their troubles. The Time Trippers seemed almost helpless to stop Biff from taking over California at some point in the future. Their new friends the souled vampires could do little but prevent further attacks on them, and Doc refused to involve the rest of the McFly family. Life was grim.

Mysteria let out a deep sigh. "Emmett, have you ever wished you _didn't_ have a time machine?" she mumbled, putting her head on his shoulder.

"Once every so often," Doc admitted. "Why? Would you prefer it if we had never glimpsed the future that is to come?"

"Sort of. It gives me nightmares, but it also strengthens my resolve. That future was such a horrible one. . . ."

"Don't worry, Mystie," Doc said, kissing her. "We'll find a way to prevent it. You'll see. The future is what you make of it." He looked around and frowned. "In the meantime, let's try figuring out our geographical location."

"We're lost?" asked Mysteria in surprise. Both she and Doc had been so wrapped up in their problems, they hadn't really noticed where they had been heading. She lifted her head and looked around. Not one of the buildings was familiar. "Good Grief, we are lost. Where are we?"

Doc shrugged. "I thought I knew every street in Hill Valley, but apparently I don't. I'll see if I can find some familiar landmarks." He walked over to a nearby intersection and checked the street sign. "Good! We're not far from my home. This street intersecting us is Valley Lane, which connects onto J. F. K. Drive. We're currently on Larkton Street. Funny, I wonder why I've never seen this street before."

"I think I know," Mystie giggled. "This is the club district. Look, there's Future Fest to your right."

Doc nodded as he saw it, lit up with neon. "Yes, I remember hearing about this place. Marty wants to see if he can get an engagement there. He feels it would be a good omen for his future, considering the name." He smiled at his girlfriend. "Do you want to go in and see what's what?"

She shook her head. "Actually, I'm more interested in _that_ one," she admitted, pointing to a club down the street.

Doc studied the sign, which was pure black with red neon letters. "Darkness Falls," he read. "Sounds interesting. And it'll provide a much- needed break." He rejoined Mystie and proceeded up the street with her.

A woman beat them to the bouncer who stood guard at the door. She was dressed from head to foot in black, with white spider webs decorating the fabric. Her brown eyes were outlined in black like an Ancient Egyptians, and she wore an ankh on a chain around her neck. "Hi Richard."

"Hi Serena," the bouncer replied with a smile. "Got your ticket in?"

Serena grinned at him, revealing well-made plastic vampire fangs. He grinned back and let her in.

Doc looked at Mysteria. "What was that all about?" he asked, confused.

"Some nightclubs have special days where you can get in for free if you're dressed a certain way," Mysteria explained to him. "Must be for some fang manufacturer or something. Let's see if flashing our fangs has the same effect." She pulled Doc up to the door.

Richard the bouncer stopped them. "Sorry, but it's 20 bucks each if you want to get in," he informed them.

Doc and Mystie showed off their fangs with bright smiles. "Oh, you're dressed! Go ahead in." He opened the door for them. "Boy, those are good fangs. Custom-made?"

"You could say that," Doc replied, trying his darndest not to giggle. He and Mystie stepped inside. The place was very dark, with red lights illuminating choice spots. A bar ran along one wall. Near it was a mess of tables, along with a dance floor and band stage. A strange-looking group was playing a moody song. People were sitting at the tables or at the bar, drinking and chatting, or dancing. It would have appeared to be a normal nightclub, if not for the fact everyone in it wore fangs.

Mysteria did a smell check. "Not a vampire here," she whispered to Doc. "All humans pretending to be us."

Doc stared at the scene. He suddenly felt very uncomfortable and out of place. He had no idea how to behave in a club. "What do I do?" he whispered back, feeling like invisible eyes were watching him closely.

"First off, _relax_. You're supposed to have fun in a place like this." She glanced around the room. "Let's get a seat at the bar and see what's what here." She dragged Doc over to the bar.

The bartender smiled at them as they sat themselves on some stools. Like the rest, he wore fangs, although his looked more natural than the others. "What's your poison?"

"Just some water, thanks," Mysteria told him. Doc was too busy examining the decor to talk. The stool poles and the bar itself were mahogany, carved with bats, wolves, and other symbols of darkness. Behind the bar was a mural, depicting vampires and humans in various states of undress. Blood was readily seen running from the vampires' mouths as they bit and copulated with their human companions. The scientist wondered who could paint something like that.

"That's it? Water?"

"We don't drink," Mystie said, also admiring the decor. "Those are interesting fangs you have."

"Thanks. My dentist had to be forced into altering them. He said I'd regret doing it later. Well, if I do, I can always have them filed and capped." He produced 2 glasses of water. "I haven't seen you 2 in here before. What's your names?"

"I'm Mysteria Jones," Mystie said. "My stunned boyfriend here is Dr. Emmett Brown. It's his first time in a place like this."

The bartender looked at Doc. "You don't seem to be the sort who likes this kind of stuff," he admitted.

"Huh?" Doc snapped his attention away from the mural. "Well, I'm usually not in nightclubs that celebrate it. I normally keep this in the privacy of my own home."

The bartender nodded understandingly. "Yeah. A lot of the mundanes don't understand us. Or think we're losers with no lives."

"Sounds like you and me have a lot in common," Doc grumbled. "Everyone thinks I'm a crackpot because I like to explore new science and hold unconventional views." He looked at the bartender with vague curiosity. "Do you think I'm insane?"

The bartender shrugged. "I try not to judge people before I know them. A lot of the stories I've heard about you are incredible, Dr. Brown."

"Well, that's exactly what they are. Incredible. I am _not_ a pyromaniac, I do _not_ keep animals for experimental purposes, and I do _not_ try to poison the minds of Hill Valley's youth. But then, what I do is really none of your business."

The bartender smiled lopsidedly. "I know, and I don't blame you for being upset over all the rumors. We've got plenty about us, let me tell you. I was just a little curious about our local legend." He examined Doc's half-extended fangs. "Where did you get those made? I could swear those were real teeth. But I know a guy like you probably would never get your teeth altered."

Doc was saved from answering by a girl sliding in next to him. She looked at him with an all too familiar expression, a mixture of fear and pity. Then she turned her attention to the bartender with a smile. "Scotch and soda, please, Joey."

Joey poured her a shot. "You look great tonight, Rachel," he said, admiring her costume. Besides the usual fangs, she wore a thin white nightgown, stained with red food coloring. Bats hung from her earlobes. Contact lenses gave her eyes a feline look.

"Thanks. It took me forever to find these lenses. I finally had to mail-order them." She looked back at Doc, who had spun his stool to face his girlfriend. "Aren't you the local crackpot?"

Doc didn't dignify the question with a response. Rachel tried again. "Is it true you keep animals locked up so you can feed them strange drugs?"

Doc didn't answer that one either. He idly perused her thoughts, wondering if she was going to say anything that he wanted to answer. "_I wonder what he's doing here. The stories never mentioned he might be a lifestyler. They always said he was a shizo, or a pyromaniac, or junk like that. Will he talk to me if I ask?_" "Do you- uh- do the vampire thing often? Are you a lifestyler?" 

"Depends on what you mean by that," Doc said, swinging around to face her. "I don't think I've ever heard the term before."

"You know, you pretend you're a vampire to get away from your boring life."

Doc had to spin away again for a moment. The urge to burst out laughing had hit him hard. "_'Pretend you're a vampire to get away from your boring life',_" he mentally repeated, smiling. "_Oh, God, if she knew the truth. . . .Get a grip on yourself, Emmett, she's expecting an answer._"

He calmed down enough to speak. "Sometimes I do so. I only just discovered this place, though."

"We like to keep it secret," Rachel nodded, looking like her suspicions about him had been confirmed by his near-laughing fit. "Normal people never understand the vampire. They don't understand the power that comes with it. You're the ultimate seducer, with the ability to play with lives. You live off what makes others tick, consuming their very souls. It's complete and total power."

Doc looked back at Mystie, impressed. "_Rather romanticized, but I understand her passion. I feel that same rush whenever I fly._"

"_Yeah, or when the blood thirst hits,_" Mysteria thought back. Aloud she commented, "It's really alluring, I admit." She extended a hand to Rachel. "Mysteria Jones. I'm Emmett's fiancé."

Rachel was surprised. "Rachel Carthak." "_Huh! I never knew he had a girlfriend. I guess he's gotta be somewhat normal if somebody wants to marry him._" "Welcome to the scene, you two." She finished her glass and got up to dance.

"At least she's tolerant of me," Doc murmured. "It's surprising what having a girlfriend can do for you." He smiled warmly at Mysteria. She smiled back just as warmly.

A pair assumed Rachel's seat. They did a double take upon seeing Doc beside them. "_Never expected to see him here,_" the woman thought. "_Ah, well, it's his life_." Doc stopped himself from rolling his eyes.

Mysteria started the conversation this time. "Hello. I'm Mysteria Jones, and I think you know my fiancé. Who are you?"

"Chris and Tina Smith," the couple introduced themselves. "We're regulars here. It's nice to see some new faces too." They extended their hands. As Doc shook with Tina, he noticed scars all over her arm. Some were old and gray-colored, while others were fresh, with beads of blood on the cuts. "Great Scott! What happened to you?" he asked, startled.

"Oh, my scars?" Tina waved her hands. "They're nothing. Just marks from the razor Chris and I use. We're blood players, you see."

"Blood players?" Mysteria repeated. "We're newbies at this, so excuse me for asking what a blood player is."

"We like to get _totally_ into the vampire experience," Chris explained. He had long curly hair and multiple piercings in each ear. "For us, the cutting is an art form. We use razors, scalpels, and syringes to extract the fluid of life, and we drink it or do other things with it. I've heard of a man who paints with his own blood. It's mind-bending, feeling that hotness run down your throat into your stomach, to feel the life of someone else flood your body. It's total intimacy, total control over- Are you all right?"

Doc had had to turn away from the blood players. He could feel his fang muscles aching to relax and fully extend his fangs. His eyes were already aglow with need, even though it wasn't a feeding night. Their description of blood-drinking had awoken his animal instincts. "_Now I know how Nick feels when he's thirsty_." He shut his eyes tight and tried to calm himself down.

"We're sorry; we forget people can get squeamish around blood," Tina apologized. 

"It's not exactly squeamishness," Doc admitted, looking at Mysteria. Her own eyes were glowing a little. She, too, had been affected by what the blood players had said. He felt a powerful urge to sink his fangs into her neck, but refrained. "If you enjoy it, it can't be bad."

"We try to be careful," Tina nodded. "We make sure everything is sterile and sharp before we cut. And we try not to drink directly from the wound."

"We brush our teeth before and after too, just in case," added Chris. He cocked his head, looking carefully at Doc. "You know, Linda never mentioned you were into this sort of thing."

"Oh, you're friends of Linda?" Doc said, calmed down enough to face them.

"We double date sometimes. She knows about the cutting, just not the drinking. She really likes you, Dr. Brown. She told us you helped save her brother's life."

"That was mere chance," Doc said modestly, with a slight shiver. He hated being reminded of Marty's near death at Sucker's hand. "It scared the hell out of me."

"Would've scared the hell out of us too." Tina smiled at him. "Have you 2 been lifestylers long?"

"For a while," Mysteria chuckled. "We have a small circle of friends who are also lifestylers, so we usually hang around them. They're blood players too, actually."

"You'll have to bring them over," Tina said eagerly. "They'd love it here. It's a haven from the outside world."

"Not that we can't deal with the outside world," Chris said hastily. "Both Tina and I have regular jobs. We just like to let our hair down and acknowledge our secret selves here."

"Heck, I even do volunteer work at the local 4-H," Tina told them with a chuckle. "I'm a real cut-up at the Halloween parties."

Doc wanted to groan at that, but stopped himself. It was possible Tina hadn't even realized she had made a bad joke. "I think we will tell our friends about this place," he said with a wink to Mysteria. "It would interest them greatly."

Tina and Chris smiled brightly and clinked glasses with Doc and Mystie. "Great. Welcome to Darkness Falls."

Wednesday, January 8th

10: 45 P. M.

"There's people who pretend to be vampires?" asked James, astonished. "Fangs and capes and all that?"

"Fangs yes, but capes are optional. And there's people who cut themselves and let others drink their blood. We talked to two of them, and once they left, Emmett and I were so worked up we bit each other on the spot! It's _perfect_ for us souled vampires. We'll have a private place to express our true natures in perfect safety. And it gives us a good place to hide from Biff's goons."

Louis looked extremely pleased. "Good work, guys. Just the place we need to make plans and plot Biff's down fall."

"And feast on the patrons, beside," Henry smacked his lips, eyes aglow.

"Is that all you ever think about? Blood?" Mysteria demanded.

"I'm a vampire. I'm supposed to have a fixation on it." Henry glared at her, adding mentally, "_At least I'm not dating the town weirdo!_"

"Henry," Louis warned, sensing the thought. "If we want to survive Biff's plan, we need to work together." Henry just grumbled.

"_Boy, Doc, I don't think the normal population of Hill Valley hates you as much as Henry does,_" Marty thought to Doc. He and Jennifer were listening in to the meeting through their blood links. "_I don't trust him._"

"_I've studied his brain waves, Marty_," Doc thought back. "_He's simply an angry person who loves to pick out scapegoats to blame for every problem on earth._" To the others he asked, "Has anyone heard of any more disappearances?" 

Everyone shook their heads. "Jennifer says no, honey," Mysteria added. 

"So does Marty."

"That's good. Means we don't have to worry about any more than we've already got," Natalie said in relief. "So we've still got time to make plans. Let's all meet- that includes Marty and Jennifer too, if they can come- at Darkness Falls tomorrow and see what we can come up with."

"That's fine," Louis agreed as everyone else nodded. "Well, if that's all the news, we'll be off."

"Henry wants to say something," Magnus reported. "However, I don't think he should, as there are ladies present."

"Don't read my thoughts," Henry growled. "What I choose to think is my own business."

"It is if it involves one of our own. Honestly, Henry, Dr. Brown seems like a very nice man. Possibly a little touched, but nice."

"You're a great help, Magnus," Doc said sarcastically.

"I meant that in a good way. Every genius is slightly mad. I don't understand why the majority of Hill Valley citizens think of you as a loon."

"Research my childhood and you'll have a better understanding of why." Doc smiled at Magnus. He liked this guy a lot. "But it's nice to know there's people like you in Hill Valley." Magnus smiled back.

"Stop that! Emmett is a dear, sweet man and I love him!" Mysteria snapped at Henry, hearing his latest thoughts on her boyfriend. Louis glared at him.

Henry sighed and turned away from the rest of the group. "Everyone knows he's really screwing that McFly kid," he muttered.

Abruptly he found himself against the wall, held off the floor by his throat by a fully vamped Doc. "Do you want to make another comment about my relationship with Marty?" he hissed, enraged. "Or should I rip out your throat right now before you further insult me and my best friend?"

"Easy on, Doc," Louis warned. "I don't tolerate the killing of souled vampires by their own kind, as unofficial leader. Put him down."

Doc glared at Louis, but released Henry. He snarled at him and rubbed his throat. "Now apologize for that entirely inappropriate comment, Henry. You know very well Marty has a blood link with Doc, nothing more. And don't mention it again."

"Sorry," Henry growled, not sounding sorry at all. He leaned in closer to Doc. "But don't regard me lightly, Brown. You'll be the next disappearance, if _I_ have anything to do with it." He flew out of the window. The rest of the vampires said goodbye and also left.

"_That bastard,_" Marty thought angrily, having heard the whole thing. "_I told you I didn't trust him. You'd better look out, Doc._"

Doc didn't reply. He had a feeling Henry Fleming would prove a more dangerous opponent than any soulless vampire.


	7. Betrayed!

Chapter 7

Sunday, January 12th, 1986

Hill Valley, California

8: 10 P. M.

Biff Tannen didn't know whether he should be pleased or angry. On the one hand, he had amassed an army of evil big enough to take over Hill Valley, the first small step to world domination. On the other hand, his most hated enemies had disappeared from sight before he could make sure they were no longer a threat. It was a dilemma his underdeveloped mind needed to ponder.

He was currently hiding out on Sherman Peabody's new farm on the outskirts of Hill Valley. It was his new headquarters, now that his group of soulless vampires had grown too big to hide in his house. Being out of the way and quiet, it was a perfect place for 32 soulless vampires to stay. Sherman Peabody himself hadn't protested for long. Biff had merely had him Changed into one of them. Food, too, was no object, as the farm animals provided a steady source of blood. The occasional curious visitor provided entertainment. All that was needed was the opportune moment to strike.

But there was a thorn in Biff's side - a thorn called the Time Trippers. He knew that this team of 2 Partials and 2 souled vampires was his biggest obstacle towards his goal. Doc Brown, their leader, had read Biff's diary (so he believed) and was fully aware of his plans to rule the world. A hit on him had gone wrong, Changing him into Biff's worst nightmare - an almost indestructible enemy. He knew that as long as the Time Trippers lived, his plans could come to naught. He had his gang and a few soulless vampires out looking for them every night, in hopes of killing the vampires and converting the Partials. But, so far, they had had no luck.

Biff chewed on a piece of hay, grumbling at his cronies failure to find the Time Trippers. "_Well, I can't give up,_" he said to himself. "_They've got to die before anything else happens that could trip me up._"

A knock at the door of the room he used for an office startled him from his thoughts. "Yeah?"

Match entered, chewing a toothpick. "No luck finding Crackpot Brown, boss," he confessed nervously. "We've searched everywhere he could be. Wherever he and those friends of his are hiding, it's a good place." He pulled a match from his pocket, lit it, and blew it out. It was a nervous habit of his and had earned him his nickname from Biff. "We haven't found any of the other souled vampires either. Maybe they skipped town."

"I don't care about _them_," Biff snapped. "They aren't important. We need to find the Time Trippers before they find us."

Match lit another match. "I still don't see why we can't kill them in the day, Biff. Me, Skinhead, and 3-D could stake the vampires quick and grab the 2 kids. Over and done with in an hour."

"I've been in with the police enough times to know we'd get caught, butt-head," Biff sighed. "We'd rot our butts off in jail while they'd recover and kill off our army." He shook his head. "You can't make a silk purse out of a cow's tail."

Match wondered if he should tell Biff the correct phrase at the end was "sow's ear". He decided against it, because of the mood Biff seemed to be in. He always got upset at the mention of Doc Brown. "What _are_ we gonna do with them if we catch them?"

"_WHEN_," Biff snapped. "_IF_ ain't an option." Match nodded immediately. "We'll kill the vampires nice and slow. Let the boys play with them awhile. But before they become vampire ribs, we'll convert those butt-head Partials." Biff smiled sadistically. "Crackpot Brown will probably _beg_ to be roasted after he sees what we do to his precious Marty. Once they're out of the way, we'll attack the film festival, turn everybody there into soulless vampires, and go for 'Frisco."

"San Francisco, Biff. The residents will kill ya if you call it 'Frisco."

"Screw them. We'll be vampires ourselves once we head out, so no worries." Biff licked his lips as he imagined sinking his fangs into George McFly. He'd make it as torturous as he could for him. The bastard had ruined his life ever since he'd delivered that fateful punch in 1955.

A loud cheer brought him back to reality. "What are our butt-heads doing?"

"They found a cow with a calf. They're forcing the cow to eat her baby." Match said this calmly, but his face took on a greenish tint. "They're gettin' restless. One tried to attack 3-D yesterday. They're complaining they're sick of animal blood. They want the human stuff."

"They'll get human blood as soon as Dr. Brown and his gang of a-holes are found and shredded into breakfast cereal. In the meantime, we still got plenty of matches." He pointed to the door. "Now make like a tree, and get outa here. And don't come back until you find Lunatic Brown!"

Match left. Biff leaned back against his chair and cursed himself for being so careless. If he hadn't left his diary there, Brown wouldn't even know. If he hadn't used that useless butt-head Sucker to try and get rid of him, Brown would be dead. They would have been able to quickly bring Hill Valley to its knees, instead of wasting valuable time trying to find him. Upset, he kicked over a picture of Jiff on his 'desk' - a plank of wood balanced on 2 crates.

Skinhead stuck his head in. "Hey, Biff, some souled vampire's at the door. Says he wants to talk to you."

"A _souled_ vampire?" Biff immediately got suspicious. "Keep him there. I'll come see him." He righted the picture of Jiff, picked up some oily rags and matches, and stuffed them in his pocket. No souled vampire in his right mind would want to talk to him, and he wasn't taking chances. 

He headed for the barn's big double doors. Skinhead was waiting for him there, along with the souled vampire and 2 soulless ones. The soulless vampires grinned wickedly as Biff approached. "He's got that souled stink they all have," one hissed eagerly. "Can we eat him? We haven't had proper food for days."

"We'll see." Biff looked hard at the souled vampire waiting patiently by the door. He seemed oddly at ease near soulless vampires. His blue eyes were cool and calculating. "What do you want, butt-head?"

Henry Fleming smiled tolerantly. "I want to talk to you about Dr. Brown and his organization, the Time Trippers. I'm sure you're aware he has recently joined our ranks. And I'm also sure you're eager for information on his current activities.

Biff snorted impatiently. "Start talking."

"Mr. Tannen, I'm aware of your plans to take over the country and enslave all humans and souled vampires. I'm also aware Dr. Brown and his group is dedicated to stopping you at all costs. He has recently indoctrinated all the rest of the souled vampires in Hill Valley into the Time Trippers. All total, including myself, there's 9 of us to around 30-something of yourself."

"Are you here to deliver some sort of message, like gangsters do?" Biff asked, wondering where the guy was heading.

"Au contraire, Mr. Tannen. I just happen to have a brain, as opposed to the rest of those idiots. I know who's going to win any fight between our groups. The Time Trippers are hopelessly outclassed. I'd prefer to be on the winner's good side once my group is wiped out. I haven't survived for 200 years by being loyal and diplomatic. I side with whoever's got the power to wipe me out. Thus I live while the weaklings who are so tied to their idealist dreams are killed."

That sounded a lot like him. Biff became intrigued. "What's your point?"

"My point is, in exchange for my life once you take over, I can hand you Dr. Brown and all his friends on a silver platter. I know exactly where they meet every night to discuss plans for your overthrow. If you'd prefer to work in the daytime, I also know their havens." He smirked just like Biff. "Do we have a deal?"

Biff thought a moment. It sounded good, but he wanted to make sure there was nothing hidden in the fine print. "Any catches?"

"One small caveat I don't think you'll find disagreeable," Henry admitted. "Nothing big. I'd simply like to have a drink from Lunatic Brown's veins before he's dispatched. No objections, I hope?"

Biff grinned. "That's okay with me. We've got a deal, souled." They shook hands. "Where are they at?"

"A nightclub called Darkness Falls," Henry provided promptly. "It's for people who like to pretend they're vampires. Lunatic Brown and his girlfriend found it on a date. We go there every night to hide from you. It's near Future Fest, on Larkton street. It's got a black sign with red neon letters over the door."

"Should I send Skinhead in first or something?"

"No," Henry smiled. "Just tell your vampires to show their fangs to the bouncer. They'll let them in free, no problem. The humans inside shouldn't be too much of a problem either. They all believe we're Slavic or like that puss Lestat from Ann Rice."

Skinhead chuckled. "Man, Biff, talk about a lucky break! We can just walk right in, kill our competish, and make everybody else soulless. Sweet deal!"

"I know," Biff said, becoming suspicious again. He never would have expected a souled vampire to betray its own kind. There had to be some sort of trick, some sort of trap set for him at the club. "Give it to me straight, souled. What's the catch?"

"No catch. I told you, I align myself with whoever is the most powerful. You, Tannen, are it." His evil smile grew fangs. "I will admit a personal reason for this. I want to see Crackpot Brown squirm. I hate the guy. He's a crazy freak who likes blowing things up. I won't have him as a vampire. He'll ruin our reputation. The bastard deserves to die."

No one could doubt the sincerity of Henry's words. Biff nodded, satisfied. "Okay, souled. It's a deal. Tomorrow I'll send a bunch of my guys over. Who are you, anyway?"

"The name's Henry Fleming, Mr. Tannen. I hope you find me a refreshing change from all those lily-livered weirdos who believe that humans deserve to live. We're around for a reason, I believe. To be the top of the food chain. Why spare the animals that were designed as our prey?"

"Tough luck on being made one of _them_," Biff sympathized. He liked Henry. Maybe he'd let him join his society once California was under his control. "I'll see you once everyone else is burned to a crisp."

"Great. Pleasure doing business with you, Tannen. Good luck with your raids." 

"Thanks." Biff watched as Henry flew off, presumably to his haven. "Man, tough luck," he repeated. "We could use a guy like him in the place."

"We should invite him to join once we get rid of the Time Trippers," Skinhead suggested, smiling as he saw Biff agreed with him.

"We get prey tomorrow?" one of the soulless vampires asked eagerly. "Human blood? Humans we can make scream?"

"Yeah, a bunch of you do," Biff assured them. "9 of ya should do it. One for each souled vampire in the joint."

"Sounds like good math to me," Skinhead agreed. "Then we'll bring the humans here and watch 'em writhe. Dibs on any pretty girls."

"Get your mind off sex and pick our 7 of the most vicious of our butt-heads to go with these 2." He turned to the soulless vampires. "Darkness Falls, on Larkton. Black sign with red letters. Bring Brown and Marty McFly back alive, and leave Henry - the one who was just here - alone. Got that?"

The soulless ones nodded eagerly. "Good. Now make like trees and get outa here." They scurried away after Skinhead, mumbling about what they'd do to the defenseless humans tomorrow. Biff smiled and walked back to his office whistling. His dilemma was solved, and he had chosen to be pleased. Soon, Doc Brown would be nothing more than a memory.

In the distance, Henry heard Biff whistle and chuckled. "_You've got a smart head on your shoulders, Henry,_" he congratulated himself. "_What a perfect way to get rid of that maniac Brown and assure my own safety in the coming world. Maybe I'll even be let in as an honorary soulless vampire. That would be a real honor. I never fit in with the rest of those bleeding-heart types anyway._" Unconcerned by his betrayal, he headed home.


	8. The Battle For Darkness Falls

Chapter 8

Monday, January 13th, 1986

Hill Valley, California

9: 02 P. M.

Doc and Marty happily toasted one another, Doc clinking his glass of cow's blood against Marty's root beer. They were in Darkness Falls, relaxing for once. Yesterday they had finally come up with a plan that might stop Biff. "Friends forever."

"And then some," Marty agreed, sipping his drink. "Hey, Doc, I've been thinkin' about our plan. Do you think we'll actually be able to catch a soulless vampire?"

"I don't see why not. Biff has a group out searching for us, in all probability. We'll lure one into a trap, capture him, force him to tell us Biff's plans, then burn him." 

"You make it sound very simple, Dr. Brown," Magnus commented, leaning over a chair. "But I'm sure you know it's definitely _not_ going to be that easy. There's all these problems that have to be considered."

"When is anything as simple as it sounds? The important thing is that it's a viable plan." Doc took a swallow of his blood. "Even Henry appeared to agree with it."

Marty frowned. "I still don't trust him, Doc. He's not like the rest of the souled vampires. Normally, I wouldn't say that's bad, but he acts like he wants to be on the _other_ side."

"I know," Doc nodded, glancing over at the vampire in question. Henry was leering at a young woman, oblivious to her rather large boyfriend. "He seems to think humans were put on this earth to serve him. And the only time he smiles is when he's talking about blood. He's arrogant, dysfunctional, and insecure." Doc sighed and looked into the blood. "I suppose there's one in every group. The best course of action is to avoid him."

Magnus took a swig from his own bottle of blood. "We all try to avoid him. He's a Class-A jerk. I knew him before he got Changed, and he was a jerk when human. I moved to Hill Valley because I thought _he_ was moving to Rhode Island. No offense to your hometown."

"None taken," Doc assured him, nodding as Tina Smith passed by with a quick "hello." "I'd want to be as far as possible from him too. Well, even with Henry here, Hill Valley is a pleasant place to live. Let's hope we can keep it that way."

The current band ended their song to loud applause. Marty checked his watch. "Whoa, it's after 9! I promised Mom and Dad I'd be home by 9: 45. I'd better get going. Where's Jennifer and Mysteria?"

"Over in the corner, discussing things we men could never understand," Doc said with a grin. Marty smiled back and prepared to get up.

Suddenly, he felt a tingle of fear race up his spine. "Oh, no," he whispered, knowing _exactly_ what that tingle meant. "Doc, Magnus, do you feel it?"

The vampires both nodded, frowning. "I think everybody else feels it too," Magnus commented, looking around. Sure enough, every vampire in the place sensed the presence of soulless vampires. A few were sniffing cautiously, while others looked around, uneasy. Henry didn't seem too perturbed, but Magnus chalked that up to his personality.

"Why in the name of Sir. Issac H. Newton would there be soulless vampires _here_?" Doc mumbled. "Has Biff already put a plan into action that involves mass killings at a nightclub?" He glanced at Marty, who shrugged.

The human's began to notice their friend's uneasiness. "What's wrong, guys?" Joey asked, wiping a glass. "You seem really nervous, suddenly. What's up?"

"Something's not right," Louis murmured, sniffing the air. "Something is definitely not right."

Serena, the woman Doc and Mystie had seen entering the club that first night, nuzzled him. She had become Louis's girlfriend and personal blood bank. "It's okay, honey. Everything's all right in here. A drink of my sweet elixir should calm you right down."

Louis pulled her tight against him, still sniffing. "This could be serious, Serena. Even more serious than you could imagine."

By them, Chris and Tina looked at each other and shrugged. "We don't feel anything. Why are you guys so scared?"

"We're not really scared, just apprehensive," Natalie corrected, listening hard. "With any luck, this whole thing should pass in a second."

Henry smiled to himself in the background. "Or maybe not," he whispered.

Marty felt his fear grow as the soulless vampires neared. Doc took his hand and squeezed it. "Natalie's right. They're probably a routine search party. In a minute, they'll pass this place, and you and Jennifer can go home."

"I sure hope you're right, Doc," Marty said, squeezing back hard. Doc wiggled his fingers a little in protest. "I sure hope you're right."

The soulless vampires passed by the club. Every one of the vampires breathed a sigh of relief. Doc smiled at Marty reassuringly. "See? Not even inter-"

He froze, stunned. _The soulless vampires had turned and come back._ His keen hearing picked out a male voice. "Black and red, Darkness Falls. This is the place."

"Oh my God, they found us," Magnus gasped.

"But how?" demanded Jennifer, being held tight by Mysteria. "There's no way they could have found us. This has to be a mistake."

"We don't have time to speculate," Louis said, taking charge. "Listen, everyone-even you, Joey. Get into the back rooms of the club and stay there. You'll be safe there. And no matter what you hear, don't come out until I say it's safe."

"Huh? Why?" Sarah demanded, her bat earrings swinging.

"Just do it," Doc snapped, standing up. "This is between us and them. We don't want anyone to get hurt. Now _go_!"

The tone of Doc's voice let everyone know they were dead serious. They filed into the back rooms. A few grumbled about being ordered around in their own club. Many more, however, were more worried about their vampire friends. A few had to be forced into the safety of the back. Once they were sure the normal people were all out of the main body of the club, the souled vampires and Partials created a barricade of tables in front of the door. "You two stay back here," Louis ordered. Marty and Jennifer nodded willingly. 

Richard outside welcomed the soulless vampires. "Hey, terrific costumes! It's not often we have evil vampires in here. Go right in."

"Thanks," hissed a male. 5 males and 4 females entered, psyched to fight, and found themselves facing a line of 6 pissed souled vampires. "Pathetic," the same male grinned. "Time to die, freaks."

"We'll see you in hell," Magnus snarled back, fully vamped. The soulless vampires just laughed and charged. The Battle for Darkness Falls had begun.

A dark-haired female went straight for Doc, lunging for his throat. Doc caught her as she leaped and sent her sailing into the wall. Magnus wrestled a male, trading bites and scratches so rapidly the old ones barely had time to heal. Natalie slammed her knee into the groin of another male. He went down whimpering.

A blond woman noticed the 2 Partials in the maze of tables. Licking her lips, she jumped onto the ceiling, crawled over the raging battle, and dropped down in front of them. "Yummy," she said, happily expecting an easy kill, and rushed them.

A second too late, she recalled Partials were practically as strong as real vampires. Marty simply bashed in her head with a chair when she came within range. "1 down, Doc!"

"2," Natalie corrected, producing a knife. She easily snapped her incapacitated male's neck, and sliced his head off at the break. With an easy movement, she tossed it behind the bar.

A third female, acting as the leader of the group, attacked Louis viciously. Twice she managed to grab his throat with her teeth and suck his blood. Louis, a battle-scarred veteran, was giving as good as he got, tearing into her with great force. "I'll keep her busy! Get the others!" he commanded, wrenching himself free of her grip.

Doc's female leapt at him again, this time knocking him over. They wrestled on the ground furiously, snarling and kicking. Once again, Doc flung her towards the wall. She managed to land on it and clung tight, hissing.

Magnus disentangled himself from his attacker. With a hard kick, he sent his opponent into the bar. He cracked his head hard on the rail and slid down, briefly out of it. Magnus took advantage of this to assist Louis.

Another blond saw Mysteria. "Hey, brunettes stink!" she yelled, flying over to her. Mysteria jumped into the air herself, fangs at the ready. They struggled furiously, evenly matched in ability. Jennifer came to the rescue by climbing onto a table and bashing in the blond's brains with a floor lamp. "Thanks," Mysteria said, giving her a big hug.

A new male rushed James. The fidgety souled vampire lured him onto the band stage. After a brief fight, he managed to impale the soulless one on the mike stand. "That's 3!" he reported.

Magnus's male recovered and refocused his attack on Doc. He attacked the scientist from behind as he dealt with the persistent female. Doc violently tore at him with his fangs, but soon found himself against the wall, sandwiched by his tormentors. "Somebody, I need some help!" he yelled, dodging a grab for his throat. It was easy to see both the woman and the man were hungry for his blood.

Strangely, _Henry_ answered his cry for assistance. The scientist was confused. Why wasn't Henry engaged in a battle of his own? And why was he helping him?

"Okay, back off for a minute," Henry told the vampires as he neared. He spoke causally, as if to old friends. Even more shocking, the soulless vampires _actually obeyed_, moving away and granting Henry access to their captive. "Let me just get what was promised to me, then you can kill him."

"Henry!" Doc gasped. "I can't believe you'd let them do that! I know you hate me, but-"

"You have no _idea_ how much I detest you," Henry hissed, holding him by the throat. "Do you think this group found its way here by lucky chance?"

Doc's eyes widened as it hit him. "You-you-"

Henry nodded smugly. "I told Biff _exactly_ where to go. What's it to me if all my fellows die? I'm assured of having _my_ life spared. Things like 'loyalty' and 'dying for your beliefs' are silly and outdated. No matter what happens to anyone else-friend, family, lover-you've gotta live. If it means betrayal-treason-murder, so what? You've survived." He forced Doc to bare his neck. "Now be still as I taste your blood. No sweeter brew than that of an enemy's, flavored with fear."

For a moment, Doc was too stunned to move. "_He betrayed us. . . .Completely and totally. . . .So he wouldn't have to face death. . . .To get back at me. . . ._" Then, pure rage filled every bit of him. He ripped Henry's hands from his throat, and threw him as violently as he could to the floor. Before the startled vampire could get up, Doc had kicked him in his privates. Not even a vampire could withstand that sort of abuse. Henry curled up into a ball, whimpering.

The male and female immediately resumed their attack on Doc, acting like there had been no pause. This time, though, the odds were in the scientist's favor. He kicked the male aside and grabbed the female by the throat. Fueled by hatred, he drove her head into the wall.

Suddenly, he felt a cracking pain in his own skull. He whipped around just in time to see Marty collapse. A previously-unaccounted for male had thrown a heavy glass at the teen's head. Eyes shining, he headed for his unconscious prey.

"MARTY!" Doc yelled, horrified. He tried desperately to get to him, to help protect him. The soulless male he had been fighting forced him to stop, determined to have his blood. "Damn it, somebody help him!"

Magnus heard Doc's yell loud and clear. He looked at Jennifer, guarding her boyfriend as best she could. He looked at Louis, still fighting the female. Louis nodded for him to go. Magnus promptly ran over to protect the fallen teen. Mysteria joined him, keeping 2 males at bay. Satisfied Marty was safe, Doc concentrated on killing his assailant.

Then the unthinkable happened. The female attacking Louis broke his arm. In agony, Louis fell to his knees, unable to defend himself. The female smiled, fangs poised for the attack. It looked like it was all over for the souled vampire.

Until someone smashed a beer bottle over the female's head.

Angered, the female spun around to deal with the new threat. A woman in white, her face covered with a black veil, glared at her. Fangs clearly protruded from her mouth, yet her scent was _human_. The female paused, trying to make sense of these conflicting elements, leaving herself open to attack. The woman simply drove the bottle in again and again, eventually driving the female off. "That's right, run!" 

Louis gaped at his savior. "_Serena_?"

Serena lifted her veil and smiled at him. "Don't tell me to go back, Louis," she told him firmly, arming herself with more bottles. "It's our fight too, now."

As she spoke, the humans poured back into the club. The soulless vampires instantly left their old targets alone and happily assaulted them, eager for easy blood. They got quite a shock as the humans proved they were quite capable of defending themselves.

Sarah overturned a table onto a male, breaking his skull. "Take _that_, you vandalistic bastard!"

"Did you just invent that word, vandalistic?" Mysteria asked, not taking her eyes from the soulless vampires.

"Yeah. Need any help, you two?"

"We're holding our own, thanks anyway."

The lead female, the only one left, set her sights on Chris. She leapt over James onto a table, determined to have her prey. She leapfrogged easily from one table to another, avoiding all attacks. Chris, desperate, tried to break off a table leg for use as a stake. With a little help from Tina, he succeeded, just as the female closed in.

"Hey, I paid $200 for that table!" Joey complained.

"You can buy a new table. I can't buy a new life!" Blood saturated with adrenaline, he drove the makeshift stake through the vampire's heart. She fell inches from him.

Another, regular, Jay, saw Henry trying to sneak away. "Hey, where are you going? Your friends need you!"

"Shut up, you lowly mortal!" Henry yelled back. "They're not my friends!"

"Don't let him leave!" Doc roared, the rage coming back. "He's the one responsible for this assault upon us!"

"_What_?" gasped Louis, holding his slowly-healing arm. "Henry betrayed us?"

"He told me himself he betrayed us. He told Biff everything he needed to know to destroy us, in exchange for being spared."

Henry darted for the door, knowing this was his only chance to escape. Natalie and James cut him off. "You're not going anywhere, traitor," Natalie hissed, clamping his hands behind his back.

The male who had knocked out Marty finally lost interest in the teen. He charged instead the nearest available target-Tina. She yanked a knife from her purse. "I _was_ going to use this on Chris, but this is far more important," she commented. With a swipe she half-decapitated him. A second swipe, and his head fell to the floor.

The last soulless vampire made one last futile attack on Doc. Doc broke off a chair leg and drove it in. The soulless one fell, ending the battle.

The souled vampires smiled in relief. "Man, am I glad that's. . . ." Magnus started, then stopped as it hit him. __

_The humans had seen them, fully vamped._

The souled vampires glanced nervously at one another, then at the humans, wondering how to explain. The humans stared back just as nervously, wondering what to say.

Just as it seemed someone would spontaneously combust, there was a groan from Marty. Doc immediately ran to his side. "Marty?"

Marty groaned again. "Mom? Mom, is that you?"

"Do I sound like your mother, Marty?"

Marty blinked open his eyes. "Hey, Doc," he smiled weakly. "Is it over?"

"It's over. We won." Doc checked him over cautiously. "How do you feel?"

"Except for the headache, okay." He sat up, rubbing the back of his head. "Hey, Jenny, are _you_ okay?"

"Just a few scratches. Nothing Mystie can't fix," Jennifer assured him with a smile and kiss.

Mysteria grinned at them, then turned with a worried expression to Doc. "Emmett, are you all right? I saw Henry at your throat earlier. . . ."

"I'm fine," Doc said, kissing her deeply. "You?"

"So am I." She slid her arms around him and squeezed tight. "Though I will admit, you frightened me earlier with your zeal."

"I frightened _me_," Doc confessed. "I'm always scared I'll lose control and hurt someone I really love. At least we're all safe and sound." He squeezed her tight against him.

Chris coughed, getting their attention. "Uh, Dr. Brown? Are you-I mean- What's going on?"

"That, Chris, is a long and complicated story."


	9. Tying Up Loose Ends

Chapter 9

Monday, January 13th

10: 30 P. M.

It took a while to explain everything to the stunned humans. Doc, Louis and Magnus did most of the talking while the other vampires cleaned up. Marty called his parents to explain what was going on. Natalie kept a tight grip on Henry, who now looked rather nervous.

Finally, the narrative was finished. The humans gaped in wonderment, trying to process all this new information. Then, slowly, Joey spoke. "Actual vampires. Amazing."

"And they call _us_ real vampires," Chris joked. A few people smiled, effectively dissipating most of the tension. "I never would have guessed."

"Do you want to remember that we're vampires in truth?" Louis asked, his arm now fully healed. "Or should I do what I usually do and have you forget?"

"You're giving us a choice?"

"I figure our secret's safe with you guys."

The humans conferred for a moment. "We want to remember," Joey announced. "We want to help you in fighting the soulless vampires."

"We can hold our own in battles; you just saw we could," Sarah added before any of the vampires could protest. "Those soulless vampires are a nightmare come true. You'll need all the help you can in stopping them."

"You're our friends. You just saved our lives," Jay F. Wallace, the regular who had spotted Henry, pointed out. "It wouldn't be right if we didn't help."

"Plus, there's the small matter pertaining to the fact we live here too," Tina grinned.

Louis looked at Doc and Magnus. "If they can take care of themselves in battle, I think we should let them help," Doc admitted. "The greater numbers will definitely be an asset to us."

"We _do_ need all the help we can get, Louis," Magnus added.

Louis thought a moment. Then he nodded at the humans. "You're in. We do rather desperately need help."

The humans smiled. "Glad to be of service," said a member of the band. "This is _wicked_, being able to work with real vampires. What do we do first?"

"Hire a professional cleaner to get out all the blood stains," James spoke up. "We're really sorry about wrecking your club. This would have never happened if those soulless vampires hadn't found us. We'll all chip in for the cleaning bill."

"Actually, those stains go with the decor," Joey commented, looking around. "But what will we do with those vampire bodies?"

"We interrogate one first, to learn Biff's plans," Doc told him. "Then we burn them in the local crematorium and scatter the ashes."

Sarah looked at him funny. "How do you interrogate a dead body, pray tell?"

"None of them are dead," Doc explained. "Vampires have amazing endurance. Our cells grow back at astonishingly fast rates. Example - despite the fact we were just in a fierce fight for our lives, not one of us is cut or bruised. And Louis's broken arm has healed perfectly." He indicated a soulless vampire. "If I were to remove that stake, that vampire would come back to life. Same if I replaced the head on one that was decapitated. Only external combustion can kill a vampire once and for all."

"Please tell us he's babbling," a young woman spoke up, clearly disturbed by this news.

"I'm afraid he's telling the truth," Mysteria said, coming to stand beside him. "I've been staked a few times myself. After an hour or two, you're able to pull it out. But don't worry, we plan to cook them way beforehand."

"What about him?" someone else asked, pointing to the still-captive Henry. "Didn't Dr. Brown yell something about him being responsible for all this?"

Doc repeated what Henry had told him, eyes glowing with fury. Natalie slapped Henry as he ended. "You opportunistic leech," she hissed.

"I did what I needed to to survive," Henry growled back. Doc noted with satisfaction he didn't seem so sure of himself.

"You did what you needed to to destroy my future husband!" Mysteria snapped. "You're a snake! A traitor! One of _them_!"

"You could have killed everyone in this club!" James snarled. "Our friends, our confidantes!"

"Your blood banks," Serena added with a teasing grin, going up to Louis. Louis rolled his eyes and squeezed her.

"He doesn't care," Doc reminded them. "He's a self-centered brain lacking a conscience that happens to be housed in a vampire body."

"He's a Biff," Marty snapped, feeling it was the ultimate insult. "I say we stake him and burn him with the others."

"You can't kill a fellow souled vampire," Henry said smugly. 

"You're not one of us," Louis growled. Henry's grin vanished. "Marty's right. You belong with your _real_ friends." He reached down and snapped off a leg from the overturned table. Joey made a noise of protest. "Relax, I can pay for it." He handed the makeshift stake to Doc. "Would you do the honors?"

"Gladly." Doc took the stake and walked over to Natalie and Henry, holding it tight. The look of naked fear on Henry's face made up for every insult, even that crack about him and Marty. He raised the stake, then slammed it in as hard as he could. Henry barely had time to scream before he fell. Doc contemplated yanking the stake out and driving it back in, just for the hell of it, but refrained. He didn't want to sink to Henry's level.

Serena looked with disgust at the staked body, then smiled at Louis. "My own real vampire," she purred, nuzzling him. "I'd like to be a vampire for real."

"Me too," added Jay. A few others from the club nodded their assent as well, grinning eagerly. "After seeing you guys, pretending to be a vampire doesn't cut the mustard."

"I say pretending has its benefits," Sarah said. "You don't have to worry constantly about soulless vampire attack. You don't have to drink blood. And you can make yourself any kind of vampire you want. Once you change, you're tied down to that type."

"But you're a _vampire_!" someone protested. "A real live vampire! You can control people, fly, read minds, turn into bats-"

"Sorry, no shape shifting," Doc interrupted. "We're evolved beings, but we haven't gotten to the point where we can change our atomical structure. I warn you, becoming a vampire is though. You become extremely sick, then go into a coma for 3 days. The McFlys thought I was dead and buried me."

These revelations damped almost everyone's enthusiasm. Jay and Serena, however, didn't seem too bothered. "Hey, I've got no family, and all my friends are club regulars. I'm willing to do what it takes to join the night."

"Louis, I love you," Serena told him, holding his hands. "If I stay human, we'll eventually be apart. I want to stay with you for eternity."

"What if you change your mind after you Change?"

"I'm a lot like Jay. It'll be safe to change me. Please, Louis. I want to know what it's like to bite you."

"Do you two really want it?" Jay and Serena nodded. "Okay. I'll Change you."

"If it's okay with you, Louis, I'll Change Jay," Natalie spoke up. The souled vampires smiled at one another. It was common knowledge Natalie had a crush on Jay. "That way you'll only have to deal with one becoming vampire."

"Fine with me." He sent a shy-looking Jay to Natalie's side. Natalie smiled at him and squeezed his hand.

Doc had a thought. "Hey, do any of you want to be Partials?"

"What are those?"

"Me and Jennifer," Marty said. "Somebody who drank vampire blood. You get some of the advantages of being a vampire without having to Change. It's cool."

"I'm willing to go for that," said a former vampire wanna-be. Many of the others nodded. "Any disadvantages?"

"Just pick someone you like," Jennifer said, smiling at Mystie. "You get linked to the vamp you choose."

"It's called blood-linking," Doc added helpfully. "You can read their thoughts, feel their heart-beats. . . ."

Doc stopped as he noticed that all the wanna-be partials were avoiding him and Mystie. Mysteria glared at them. "Well, I'm insulted!"

"Not that we don't like you, Mystie," Sarah attempted to reassure them. "We'd just feel more comfortable with someone-um-"

"I _can_ read minds," Doc snapped, hearing, "_someone who's not dating a lunatic_." "Don't reject Mysteria simply because she's my fiancé."

"Let them," Mystie said. "I love you, and if they can't handle that, forget them." She kissed him, then went back to looking pissed. "I just thought it would be nice for someone to offer to be ours. . . ." She looked at Chris and Tina, who were hanging back. "Don't you want to be Partials?"

"We're fine with drinking each other's blood," Tina politely declined. "And anyway, you two seem so close to Marty and Jennifer, we don't want to break those special bonds."

Doc looked at Marty. Now that he thought about it, Tina was right. His bond with Marty was something he wouldn't want to share. He smiled at the teen, feeling their hearts beating together. "You're right. We've already got all the Partials we need."

"Amen to that," Mysteria agreed, holding out her arms. The teens gladly joined them for a group hug. "It's nice to know we have real friends in this place."

"I can tell you he's perfectly okay up there," Marty yelled to the others, annoyed over their reaction to his best friend. "Technical at times, but perfectly sane."

"No pyromania? No schizophrenia?" Sarah asked disbelievingly.

"Nope. He's fine. He just loves to experiment with stuff."

"Like that nutty DeLorean of his?" asked Jay, grinning.

"Yes, I did make a few improvements on it," Doc admitted. "That 'Mr. Fusion' is just for fun, though. I made it from a Krupp coffee grinder."

"I figured that."

"_Quick thinking, Doc,_" Marty complimented.

"He's still weird," Sarah mumbled.

As the humans blood-linked, Doc sought out Magnus. "Magnus, thank you very much for protecting Marty." 

"That's what friends are for, Dr. Brown," Magnus told him. "I know how close you two are. And I know what it's like to lose a Partial to premature death. I didn't want for you to have to experience that."

"Well, thank you." Doc shook hands with Magnus.

"My pleasure, Dr. Brown."

"Call me Doc, Magnus."

"Okay- Doc. And you can call me Matt."

"Fine with me, Matt."

Louis clapped his hands to get everyone's attention. "Now that that's out of the way, we need to get down to business. Specifically, finding out what Biff has up his sleeve." He went over to the staked leader female. "Magnus, Dr. Brown, could you come over here, please? I'll need help holding her."

"You're _unstaking_ her?" Chris asked, backing away.

"I have to. She's the only one who could tell us Biff's plans." He took a deep breath and yanked out the stake. Doc and Magnus immediately clamped her to the floor. The wound healed within minutes, and soon she was raring for a fight again. All the humans and Partials stayed well away.

"Where's Biff's headquarters?" Louis demanded.

"Go to hell, you souled freak," the female snarled, trying to lash out at her captors. Doc, his eyes glowing again, caught it and held it painfully.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way," he growled. "One of your kind nearly tortured both me and my best friend to death. I'm not against returning the favor." To prove his point, he twisted the arm a little. The soulless vampire let out a yelp of pain. "When is Biff's next attack on Hill Valley?" When she hesitated, he added, "You're going to die anyway. You may as well make it quick."

The female cracked. "He's holed up at Peabody's farm. He plans to get the film festival and make all there soulless. Happy?" she snapped.

"Quite," Louis assured her. With a single smooth motion he drove the stake back in. "Terrific! All we need to do is head down to Peabody's new farm."

"That would be a kamikaze mission, Louis," Doc warned. "We would be fighting them on their ground. We'd be surrounded and killed quickly."

"So our best bet is to stop the film festival attack," said Mysteria logically. "I guess Biff _does_ have a brain. Almost all of Hill Valley attends that film festival."

It hit Doc like a ton of bricks. "_'Almost all of Hill Valley attends that film festival,'_ " replayed itself in his mind - right over a memory of Hell Valley. "_Great Scott, that has to be it!_"

He motioned Marty, Jennifer, and Mystie over. "This is it. This next fight is the one that decides our future. If Biff wins, Hill Valley is lost. And so are we."

"Oh, man, this is heavy," Marty moaned.

"There's no way we can let Hell Valley become a reality," Mysteria snapped, speaking for all of them. "No fate but what we make. I'd die to keep Hill Valley safe."

"Me too," agreed Jennifer. They all clasped hands briefly. "This one's for the future."

"What are you guys talking about?" asked Natalie, wandering over to them.

"The repercussions of Biff's actions on the future," Doc answered truthfully. "If he succeeds, we're all dead. Let's dispose of the bodies and start our battle plans."


	10. Biff Strikes

Chapter 10

Friday, January 17th, 1986

Hill Valley, California

8: 14 P. M.

Biff and his gang eagerly watched the Essex, where the film festival was currently being held. Biff had chosen the evening show and not the late one since the greatest number of people attended the evening show. People who would soon provide food for their soulless vampires. The excited vampires were stationed in key spots around the theater and in the town square. Biff and his gang themselves were watching the action from the roof of the nearby Bank of America. Everything was ready for a massacre.

3-D checked his watch. "Geez, when do the movies end?" he complained.

"We've got 15 minutes," Skinhead told him, favoring him with a look. "You know, you look really stupid in those old 3-D glasses. We're not teenagers anymore."

"Excuse me for getting into the spirit of the thing," 3-D snapped. "And I prefer these to the glasses I have to wear now. Geekiest things on the planet."

"Can you even see, 3-D?" Match asked, getting comfortable on the roof.

"I've got contacts in. I can see." There was a pause. "Hey, Biff, are you sure this'll work?"

"Positive. All the school kids and families will be here. Lots of fun."

"What do you think happened to that group we sent to Darkness Falls?" Skinhead asked without thinking.

Biff glared at him. "You know damn well what happened. I was taken for a sucker."

"Sorry," Skinhead immediately apologized. He didn't want Biff to get even the slightest bit mad at him. He knew that could have serious repercussions. They returned to waiting in silence.

Finally, it was 8: 30. A swarm of people left the theater talking excitedly. Biff was glad to see at least one McFly in the bunch - Marty McFly, with his usual group of friends. He would have preferred George, but you couldn't have everything. With high hopes, he whistled, the signal to attack.

The soulless vampires burst from their hiding places, starved for human blood. Almost everyone exiting the theater froze in terror as they saw them, filthy and inhuman. A single soulless, braver and hungrier than the rest, charged a woman at the front. All the people near her screamed and ran for safety nearer the theater. The woman herself seemed paralyzed with fear as the vampire made his mad dash, fangs extended, drool running out of his mouth. Then, just as he was about to knock her down, she whipped something from her shopping bag.

A stake.

The soulless vampire didn't have a chance. The stake plunged through his heart like it was going through butter. Biff, watching, was stunned. "_How did she know?_"

Sarah smiled wickedly at the menacing vampires, relishing the power she felt in the body. "Come on, vamps! We're ready for you!" Around her, the other patrons of Darkness Falls who weren't Changed pulled out their weapons. The already-terrified humans got a further shock as all the souled vampires vamped out. The war was on.

A group decided to attack the 4 Time Trippers. 3 males and a female leapt as one at the friends. Doc and Mysteria easily tossed the ones that landed on them right off. Marty and Jennifer easily avoided the leaps. The soulless vampires attacked again, but Doc got them with his sleep inducer before they could even spring. 

5 soulless attempted to surround a member of Darkness Falls. They succeeded, only to have stakes thrust into them by the Partials that had ringed _them_.

A female managed to grab a small child from one of the movie-goers. The mother, furious, whacked the vampire over the head with her handbag. "Put my child down, you monster!"

The vampire complied, heading for the mother instead. Before she could do anything, Louis sprang upon her from over the marquee. They wrestled furiously, each determined to kill the other. The mother grabbed her child and ran back into the theater.

Another soulless got Marty in a bear hug from behind. He managed to tear into the struggling teen's neck. Marty felt pure agony for a moment as his blood was sucked. Then Doc and Jennifer came to his rescue, Doc yanking the soulless vampire off as Jennifer staked it. Marty fell to his knees, rubbing his neck and whimpering.

Doc got down too and pulled him close. "I'm sorry. I felt it too. I'm so sorry you had to feel that."

"You were right, Doc. Having one of those things suck your blood _hurts_." He gratefully accepted a little of Doc's blood from his wrist. As he drank, the pain in his neck dulled. "How are we doin'?"

"Excellent. The new Partials and even the humans from Darkness Falls are a great help. Biff's army originally consisted of 33 soulless vampires. We've already killed 6."

"Great. Let's go kick some more vampire butt." He and his pals rejoined the fight, helping Magnus with a bulky vampire.

A male tried to attack Natalie, obviously after more than just her blood. Unfortunately (or fortunately), he hadn't counted on Nat's brand-new vampire boyfriend - Jay. The thirsty new vampire forced the soulless away from Nat. "Leave my girl alone!"

"Make me," the soulless vampire hissed. Jay took him up on his offer and jumped on him. He dug in with his claws and held on as, yowling, the soulless vampire tried to shake him off. He flew the male to the top of the Essex and dropped him. Bones shattered as the male landed, making him an easy target for Natalie's stake. She and Jay exchanged a loving glance.

Mysteria saw a soulless vampire lurching around with a stake sticking out of her back. "What the. . . ?"

"He bolted before I could shove it in all the way," a Partial yelled, kicking a female. "Sorry that I couldn't get him complete."

"Don't be. Watch this." With a kick that would later become famous in the 'Buffy' movie, she drove the stake completely in. "An oriental vampire friend taught me karate," she explained to the impressed Partial.

More and more soulless vampires fell. Biff watched in open-mouthed shock. This wasn't right at all! "What the hell?"

"Biff, aren't _we _supposed to be killing _them_?" asked Match, his compulsion about matches taking hold.

"That was the plan," Biff mumbled. "But those butt-heads are winning. How?"

"Yeah, there was no way Henry could've learned about today," Skinhead whispered, hoping Biff wouldn't hear him. "Biff, maybe we should help 'em out, huh?"

"And end up dead or in prison?" Biff snorted. "Yeah, sure. Maybe we'll get a cell next to Joey Baines."

"It was only a thought," Skinhead grumbled.

"Hey, Biff, I just noticed something," 3-D said, lifting his glasses for a better look. "Henry's not here."

"You sure, 3-D?"

"Positive! He ain't here, Biff."

"Must be afraid fighting will mess up his hair,' Skinhead muttered, rubbing his crewcut.

"Actually, Henry's dead," said a voice behind them. Startled, they all spun to see Doc standing behind them, clothes spattered with blood. "We staked him the night of your attack because he betrayed us."

"So he wasn't a dirty double-crosser!" Biff exclaimed in surprised relief. It had bothered him to think a guy that perfectly evil could be a goody-two-shoes. 

"No. By the way, I'd recommend following Skinhead's course of action."

"Really? Why?" Skinhead asked suspiciously, backing away from Doc as much as he could.

Doc smiled at them, fangs showing. "Being put in jail is far better a fate than having to face souled vampires who _aren't_ too happy with you." Eager for revenge, he charged Biff.

The bully darted out of the way just in time. Doc corrected his course and ran at him again, fumbling in his pocket for his sleep-inducer. He wasn't exactly fond of killing - even when it came to soulless vampires. He did that merely to survive, and often just got caught up in the heat of the moment. Yet he felt he might make an exception with Biff, if he could get him unconscious.

Match came to Biff's rescue. He lit Doc's labcoat on fire. Terrified of being cooked, Doc stripped the burning cloth off and stomped it, allowing Biff and his gang to flee through an old roof door. Cursing, Doc put out the fire and flew back down into the main battle, joining Jennifer in killing a female.

Biff burst out of the building, getting odd looks from those customers not mesmerized by the war outside. "_Should I call them off right now or keep going and hope for the best?_" he wondered, surveying the scene. His army was severely depleted, giving the souled vampires an even bigger advantage than before. And practically all the movie-goers had been herded back into the theater, leaving no easy prey for his group. He put his fingers in his mouth.

Then 3-D tapped him on the shoulder. "Not yet, Biff," he said, with an odd cheerfulness. "They haven't gotten _him_ yet!" He pointed out Sherman Peabody, clinging to the theater marquee. Biff nodded, deciding to give the fight a few more minutes. Sherman's mental problems made him their most effective soulless vampire. As long as he was all right, there was a chance they could triumph.

Sherman dropped to the ground and chased a bunch of kids who hadn't gotten back into the Essex, looking more like a werewolf than a vampire. The souled vampires tried desperately to stake him, but with no luck. The other soulless cheered his attempt at feeding. It seemed the farmer would turn the tide of the battle from sheer persistence.

Then Doc and Marty attempted an attack on him.

The instant Sherman saw them, he froze, his eyes wide, fingers gripping the wall he had just climbed so tightly his knuckles were white. As they neared, he backed up. Puzzled by this atypical reaction, Doc read the Changed farmer's thoughts. "_Oh my God. . . .They've come for me. . . .The space zombies have come back for me. . . ._"

Doc immediately shared these thoughts with Marty, who chuckled. "_I guess some good came from me accidentally wrecking Otis Peabody's barn back in '55._"

"_It's a little sad, though,_" Doc admitted. "_Sherman wasn't a bad kid. And having your father committed to a institution when you're 10 can't help your own_ _mental state. Too bad it has to end like this for him._" Resigned to doing their duty, Doc and Marty began chasing Sherman.

The effect was like that of flame upon gunpowder. With a heartfelt shriek of "Space Zombies!", Sherman fled as fast as he could from the oncoming pair. He gave them quite a run for their money before they managed to steer him in the direction of Magnus. Their pal staked him mercifully and set him aside.

Biff knew it was time to call off his troops, or what was left of them. He whistled twice, the signal to break off the attack. 6 soulless vampires of the remaining 10 responded. Biff left the last 4 to their fate and fled the area, cursing his luck. "You'll be mine, Brown," he growled. "Someday."

"Like hell I will," Doc snapped, overhearing. He sleep-induced the last female, then drove a stake into her heart. Marty flung a male over to Mysteria, who skewered him. A moment later, the last soulless vampire fell to Louis. "Judging from the current state of affairs, Biff, it's _you_ who will be _mine_."

Biff wasn't around to hear Doc's sentiments. He had had himself flown off with his gang. Sighing, he turned with the rest of his friends to deal with quite a few scared and confused people. A number of them looked ready to call 911 and report a crowd of insane murderers on the loose. Families and friends huddled together. "What on earth are you?" one dared to mumble.

"Something you wouldn't believe," Louis answered. He turned to James, acting as a scout. "How many people saw, James?"

"Everybody in the bank - that's 27 - and everybody here - 119 - and a few others. Roughly 159 people. That's not a lot, but I think we can all agree even a few is too many."

Louis nodded. "Magnus, Mysteria and I will deal with the humans who saw. We're the oldest and good at dealing with large crowds. Magnus and myself will take the theater, you can take the bank, Mystie. The rest of you can clean up."

"Yes, Master," Sarah muttered sarcastically.

"I didn't know you could do it on large groups, Matt," Doc said with interest.

"It takes a lot of practice. Incidentally, I saw your attack on Biff up there. Are you hurt?"

"We saw you on fire," added Mysteria anxiously.

"Just my labcoat, which was a total loss anyway," Doc assured them. "I'm fine."

"Good. We wouldn't want to lose our top vampire-killer."

"_There's_ a phrase I thought would never apply to me," Doc mumbled, helping Jay and James put the soulless vampires in a bag. The rest of the gang started cleaning up the theater as Louis, Magnus, and Mysteria began hypnotizing all the witnesses.


	11. A Very Short Ending

Chapter 11

Saturday, January 18th, 1986

Hill Valley, California

7: 39 P. M.

Marty, Jennifer, and Mystie waited anxiously for Doc's return. It was the day after Biff's army had been destroyed, and everything appeared to be back to normal. The soulless vampires were now ashes scattered in the wind. Jay and Serena were adapting well to vampire life, currently living with their significant others. Not one of the people who had attended the film festival or seen the fight recalled the battle. To the rest of the souled vampires and Partials, everything was peachy keen.

For the Time Trippers, though, there was still a hint of worry to keep them awake at night (or day). That terrible future they had seen was still fresh in their minds, and it made them wonder. Had that attack on the film festival been the crux event that brought about Hell Valley? Or had it been another event, past or future? If so, what? And could they stop it?

They had gathered to discuss it that night, terrified they had done nothing to stop Biff's rise to power. Doc had finally suggested that he go to the future and see if everything was all right. He had left for January 6th, 1996, at 7: 30 P. M., promising to be back 10 minutes after his departure. It was now 7: 39, and the gang was on pins and needles. "God, if Hell Valley's still there," Jennifer mumbled, shivering.

"If it _is_ still there, let's hope he didn't get caught," Mystie murmured, the thought making her want to retch.

"He's still alive, Mystie. I can still feel his heartbeat, steady as ever." During a test hop, Doc and Marty had learned to their surprise that their bond could stretch through time. No matter how far Doc went into the future or past, Marty could still feel his heartbeat. "And it hasn't speeded up any during the trip. That's probably a good sign."

"What will we do if Hell Valley's still there?" wondered Jennifer anxiously, chewing on a nail. "What do you think might have caused it?"

"Let's hope it's an event in the future," Mysteria said, looking towards the ceiling. "The past might be too dangerous to mess with."

"You're telling me," agreed Marty, remembering his first time trip.

3 sonic booms heralded the return of the DeLorean as he spoke. Everyone rushed outside to see the car speed off towards a quieter area. A few minutes later, it returned, driving along the street normally. The 3 friends followed it inside the garage, anxious for the news.

Doc hopped out with a bright smile. "Mission accomplished. 1996 looks normal again. Not a soulless vampire within sight or smell. I even caught sight of Future Marty shopping, and he looked fine."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. "That's wonderful, Emmett. Now I can marry you without worrying how long the marriage will last."

"And _I_ don't have to face the prospect of facing eternity without any of you." Doc kissed Mystie tenderly. Mystie squeezed him, glad he didn't remember his death in Hell Valley.

Jennifer relaxed, leaning against Marty. "Good grief, I was so worried. Knowing the future can really take it out of you."

"That's why I always warn you not to look yourselves up in the future. If you find something you're not particularly fond of, you tend to agonize on how to prevent if once you get home. Since the future is never written, that agonizing could have a detrimental effect, making things worse. I nearly made that mistake when I discovered my future fate."

"Gotcha, Doc. I should stop worrying about if I'm gonna be a _rich_ rock star and concentrate on my music," Marty nodded.

"Perfect example." Doc frowned. "There is a bit of bad news. I went over to Peabody's farm before I landed and came back here. It's deserted. Biff has obviously moved his headquarters again."

"Back to his house?" Mysteria inquired.

"No, I did a fly by check there too. It's a completely new place."

"Well, Doc, we'll keep trying," Marty said with a shrug. "After all, we've got a lot more eyes and ears now. We won't let him pull that stunt again." He cheered up. "Hey, did I tell you? I convinced the guys to play at Darkness Falls as a trial run for Future Fest. If this works, I could hit the big time!"

"You said you were going to stop focusing on money," Mystie grinned teasingly. "What do you think, Emmett?"

"I'm just glad there's a future where Marty can put his talent to good use." With nothing more left to say, they all hugged.

The End


End file.
